Google Maps is getting upgrades that will facilitate finding inspiration, sharing travel recommendations and getting a true sense of a location before you visit. Intending to help people while they travel, the company has incorporated lists of hand-picked recommendations from popular websites and the Google Maps community on Maps to offer consumers customised recommendations. The Maps will also allow users to make lists of destinations they’ve gone to and destinations they plan to visit. Additionally, Google is also integrating AI into Maps.
The users will be able to easily discover helpful lists from top sites and the Google Maps community, starting in select cities in the U.S. and Canada. If you are planning to travel to a new city you can now simply search for the city on Maps and swipe up to view well-selected lists of suggestions from locals. You’ll also see lists from sites you love like Lonely Planet and OpenTable. Once you have a list you like, share it with friends or save it to your map.
Three different kinds of curated lists are being offered by Google Maps. ‘The Trending List’ is ideal for helping you discover the latest hot spots. The Top list will help you find an area’s tried and true, longstanding favourites in the Maps community. Lastly, the Gems list will help uncover the neighbourhood’s great eateries that are still hidden from view.
More than 40 cities across the U.S. and Canada will start receiving these lists. Google will be showcasing some of the top lists created by the Maps community in the upcoming months, so if you’ve made a list you think others will love, send it to [email protected] to nominate it!
Google Maps will also let users create and share lists with new customization tools to keep track of the locations you’ve been to and the places you wish to visit. This way, you’ll always have recommendations to offer, whether you share them on social media after your trip or in the group chat while you’re making travel plans. In the Saved tab, select the “New list” button to begin creating a new list. From there, you can add a place to your list whenever you’re seeing it on Maps, just add it to your list so you can save it for later and always see it pinned on your map.
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To help you provide the best recommendations, rank the locations you’ve visited after you’ve been there by moving them up or down on your list. You can also link to content from your social channels. These updates roll out globally on Android and iOS later this month.
Lastly, the company has now incorporated AI into Google Maps to identify key insights from the Maps community. It will make use of photos and reviews that summarise what people love about it.
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“When you’re checking out a restaurant and scrolling through photos of the food, we’ll use AI to help you identify what a dish is called (perfect if you’re in a new city and not familiar with the cuisine), and show you helpful information based on the menu — like what it costs, if it’s popular, and even if it’s vegetarian or vegan — so you know if you want to make a reservation.”
