The Wall
A smooth vertical feed, just like your socials, with the most relevant news around you.
Geolocated news
Dive into what is happening around you
Snurkel brings your neighbourhood news together on a living map. Discover what is going on nearby, post what you see and connect with your local community.
Coming soon to the App Store and Google Play
- 4,000+
- news per day
- 11
- languages
- Free
- forever
How it works
Your area, in four taps
Snurkel turns what is happening near you into something you swipe, explore and share.
The Map
Explore zones drawn on the map and find out what is being told exactly where you are.
Post
Something happening nearby? Share it in seconds and put it on your community map.
Level up
Every contribution counts. Earn points, climb the ranks and become a voice in your area.
Why Snurkel
Built for what happens nearby
Truly geolocated
Zones drawn as polygons on the map: the news reaches the people it matters to.
In your language
Many languages, so Snurkel speaks just like your community.
Real time
What is happening now, not yesterday. Your area’s pulse, instantly.
Living community
Post, comment and react. The stories are told by the people living them.
Gamified
Levels, points and ranks that reward those who keep their area informed.
Private by design
You choose what to share and when. No noise, no opaque algorithms.
The app
Beautiful inside and out
A warm, clean design crafted down to the last pixel.
Gamification
From Newbie to Mythic
The more you give to your community, the higher you climb. Ten ranks to conquer.
- 1 Newbie
- 2 Explorer
- 3 Scout
- 4 Pathfinder
- 5 Ranger
- 6 Guide
- 7 Ambassador
- 8 Master
- 9 Legend
- 10 Mythic
A level system in the spirit of the best local guides.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is Snurkel?
Snurkel is a free app that brings the news and posts of your area together on a living map. Discover what is happening nearby, share what you see and connect with your local community.
How does Snurkel work?
Browse the Wall, a vertical feed of the most relevant news around you; explore the Map to see stories by zone; and post local news in seconds. The more you contribute, the higher you climb through the levels.
Is Snurkel free?
Reading the news is and always will be free. In the future there will be optional premium features, but staying informed about what happens in your area will always be free.
Which languages does Snurkel support?
Snurkel is available in 11 languages: Spanish, English, Catalan, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Arabic, Japanese and Russian.
Does Snurkel use my location?
Only with your permission. Snurkel uses your location to show you news and posts from your area, and you can manage it at any time from your device settings.
Where do the maps and locations come from?
The maps use Mapbox and OpenStreetMap; place names come from GeoNames and some locations are refined with Google Maps. Everything is combined to pin each story at the right spot.
How do I post a news item?
Tap the post button, tell what is happening, add photos or video if you like and mark the spot on the map. In seconds it is shared with your area.
What are zones and how do I create them?
Zones are the areas you care about (your neighbourhood, your town, your workplace…). Draw them on the map and you will get the news and alerts of whatever happens inside them.
How do levels and points work?
You earn points by posting and taking part, and they move you up through the levels. The more you contribute to your community, the more recognition you get and the further your posts reach.
Do I need an account to use Snurkel?
You can explore the news without an account. To post, save and create your zones you need to sign up: it is free and takes less than a minute.
Which devices does it work on?
Snurkel is on iPhone and Android, and you can also use it from your computer browser. Your account and zones sync across all of them.
How is content moderated?
Every post goes through an automatic review and you can report anything that breaks the rules. We want Snurkel to be a local, useful and respectful space.