Google Maps crams more onto app for restaurant searches
Let's see just how much Google Maps can fit into one app.
Starting Thursday, Android smartphone users can see pictures of popular dishes at restaurants looked up on the navigation app. In the coming months, iPhone users will see the same feature.
Based on user input, the Google algorithm will highlight favorite menu items and display images of those dishes for when you're deciding where to go out to eat or what to order in. The photos will come up when you search for a restaurant or click on a listing.
This latest addition adds to the long list of things you can do within the Maps app. Just last week online food ordering was added, which allows users to snag their favorite cuisine without having to leave the app.
Last year, enough features were added to make it feel more like restaurant review app Yelp than a navigation app, including lists, group dinner planning, and restaurant matching. Already restaurant searches on the mapping app bring up reviews, menus, and other info like hours, contact info, and interior photos.
And here we are again with more information to help you decide where to go – not how to get there.
Topics Google
Sasha is a news writer at Mashable's San Francisco office. She's an SF native who went to UC Davis and later received her master's from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. She's been reporting out of her hometown over the years at Bay City News (news wire), SFGate (the San Francisco Chronicle website), and even made it out of California to write for the Chicago Tribune. She's been described as a bookworm and a gym rat.
