Yelp Official Blog

Ho, Ho, Ho! Yelp for Android Updates!

Just two short weeks ago we launched our first Yelp for Android application. Along with that, we promised that we'd have additional updates for this application VERY soon. I'm a man who keeps his word, so today I'm happy to announce that you can now enjoy the first of many new Yelp features on your Droid:

• Log-ins: The ability to log-in to your Yelp profile via Android.
• Upload photos: Take and upload photos with your handset to Yelp.com - which has already proved very popular with the iPhone.
• Share business information: You'll be able to share business information with friends via SMS, email, Facebook, and any other features on your phone that are capable of receiving and sending that information.

 

Now before you start emailing, Facebooking and Tweeting me, more features are on their way - not just for Android, but for other devices, as well (I promise!). In the meantime, we here at Yelp wish everyone "Happy Holidays" and look forward to Yelping with you in 2010!

Ask Yelp: Why can't I write reviews from my mobile?

Over here in Yelpland, we get quite a few questions on everything from our products and people to just about everything in between. We do our best to answer these via our FAQ, our customer service team, and of course, this here blog. But we've also been toying with incorporating a more formal way to address your questions. Today, we're kicking off a test run of "Ask Yelp." If popular, "Ask Yelp" will become a monthly column that addresses your most pertinent questions asked via our Facebook or Twitter page with the hashtag #AskYelp.

Without further ado, let's get to it with a question that's been on many of your minds.

Dear Yelp,

Why can't I write and publish Yelp reviews from my mobile?

Sincerely,

24/7 Yelper

**************

Thanks for your question! We occasionally hear from other passionate Yelpers on why we haven't enabled review publishing from our mobile applications. There are several reasons why we do this, but first, let me explain the ways you CAN contribute content from your mobile device; specifically, Yelp for iPhone.

Quick Tips is a feature that we launched in April 2009. Quick Tips allows folks to leave a 140 character, short and sweet description of businesses whether it's insight on the best time to grab a seat, beers on tap, speedy service, etc. Additionally, you can also draft full fledged reviews from your iPhone that will be waiting for you to polish up when you get back to your home-base and photo uploading has proved very popular, as well - and don't you other device holders fret, we plan to add these features for our other applications in the very near future, as well.

But why not full reviews? Well imagine what it would be like if reviews were done in SMS shorthand: "OK so, IANAE, but AFAIC this place has THE best Cfood. It was gr8! ADBB" 

Um, yeah. 

We love the witty quality of the reviews and the insight that Yelpers share in their detailed accounts of their experiences. We've found that Quick Tips and Draft Reviews are mobile features that provide eager Yelpers with an outlet to catalog their immediate experiences or jot notes that they can then add to or edit when they get back to a computer. While we're not saying that writing Yelp reviews on your mobile device is out of the question, we feel very strongly about maintaining the high level of content you all provide. Saying that, we know mobile is increasingly a part of everyone's everyday life (I mean, my iPhone is practically sewn to my hand!), so you can continue to expect many great things from our mobile team on a variety of platforms in the very near future.

It's time to break out the Robot, Yelp for Android is HERE

I take the constant barrage of emails, tweets and Facebook postings as flattery. But man, you sure don't give a guy a break! That's why today I am thrilled to announce our first Yelp for Android application!

The Yelp for Android app is the 5th member of Yelp's mobile family joining the iPhone, Blackberry, Palm Pre and WAP. Like all new Yelp mobile applications, we focus on releasing a useful and awesome product first and then add more bells and whistles over time. We particularly wanted to make sure that all you Droid lovers got your wish answered this holiday season and had Yelp guiding your way as you shop, travel and be merry. You can plan for more updates before the New Year, but immediate features include:

• By leveraging location-aware technology, the Yelp for Android app determines your current location and then lets you search for nearby businesses, read reviews and access a moveable Google map that enables you to easily zoom in/out on a location and redefine your search based on that geographic area.  
• In addition to searching nearby businesses, you can also filter reviews by "Price," "Open Now," "Special Offers" and browse "Hot on Yelp"
  
• Like all our other mobile applications, Yelp for Android works everywhere Yelp is available (US, Canada, UK and Ireland)
• It is available for download on Android Market via your handset.

 

So what are you waiting for? Do the robot, er, Android with Yelp!

 

Business owner? Use your voice on Yelp.

Are you a business owner? Do you know a business owner? Then you may already be familiar with some of the free tools we give the business community. But are you aware of all the features you can use to your advantage?

We worked with the folks at Howcast to create this video for you. It explains how to "unlock" your Yelp page and offers some tips on how to use the free tools to attract and engage with customers:

We hope you'll watch it and pass it along to any business owners you know.

To begin using these tools now, visit http://www.yelp.com/business