Neighborhood social app Nextdoor has launched a major redesign, calling it the “new Nextdoor.” The update introduces a more modern look, smarter AI-powered features, and a stronger focus on timely, hyperlocal content—including local news, emergency alerts, and business recommendations.
Smarter, More Useful Neighborhood Connections
Nextdoor has long been a go-to platform for neighborhood discussions, local services, and recommendations. But in recent years, the platform struggled with declining engagement and a reputation for misinformation. Now, Nextdoor is looking to reverse that trend with a smarter, utility-focused approach.
CEO and co-founder Nirav Tolia told TechCrunch that the redesign is aimed at making Nextdoor more helpful, relevant, and community-focused. “We’re recommitting to being hyperlocal. It’s really important for us to be seen less as a social network and more as a utility-centric network,” he said.
Local News Now Built-In
For the first time, Nextdoor is integrating local news directly into the platform through partnerships with over 3,500 publications across the U.S., U.K., and Canada. Outlets like The San Francisco Standard, The London Standard, and The Toronto Star are among those participating.
Instead of relying solely on user-generated posts, users will now see curated headlines, snippets, and images linking back to original stories—while retaining the ability to comment and discuss them with neighbors. These content partnerships are not commercial, and Nextdoor doesn’t host or pay for the articles.
Real-Time, Hyperlocal Emergency Alerts
Nextdoor’s new real-time alert system is designed to provide timely information about weather, traffic, power outages, wildfires, and more. Alerts are visually mapped within the app, helping communities stay informed and prepared.
Alerts are powered by integrations with Samdesk and Weather.com (including The Weather Channel), and are categorized by urgency—such as “yellow” for notable issues and “red” for critical events. Thanks to Nextdoor’s geospatial technology, alerts can be delivered with pinpoint accuracy—down to the household level.
Meet “Faves”: AI-Powered Local Recommendations
One of the most ambitious features in the new app is Faves, an AI-driven recommendation tool that curates suggestions for local businesses, restaurants, and activities. Users can browse curated lists or ask specific questions like, “Where’s the best place to hike with kids?”
Tolia says this new feature is built on 15 years of neighborhood conversations, powered by local large language models (LLMs). “We’ve created what we believe is the first truly local AI—trained on neighbor posts,” he said.
The results are personalized, hyperlocal, and based on real conversations—not scraped data or general search engine results. As Tolia noted, “You can’t ask Google or ChatGPT where the neighborhood lemonade stands are—but you can ask your neighbors on Nextdoor.”
What’s Next for the New Nextdoor?
Beyond news and AI, Nextdoor plans to open up its platform to small businesses, schools, and community organizations. These groups will soon be able to build native presences within the app, expanding Nextdoor’s value as a neighborhood utility.
As it shifts toward becoming a “utility-centric” platform, Nextdoor is betting big on hyperlocal relevance and real-world usefulness—moving beyond social networking to become the digital heartbeat of your neighborhood.
Sources ( Techcrunch )
