Not sure where to eat? Google Maps can now recommend places before you even search
Google Maps is going to start offering recommendations about where to eat and visit based on your interests.
The popular mapping app is adding a personalized "For You" tab to the iOS app starting today and expanding the feature to more than 130 countries on Android, the company announced in a blog post Monday.
Google previewed the feature at the company's I/O developer conference earlier this year as part of a major design overhaul for the app.
The For You update is intended to make it easier to keep track of what's going on nearby, and to keep track of favorite local businesses. By tapping buttons at the bottom of the screen after launching the app, users will now be able to view recommendations about where to visit, where to eat, and what to do in a neighborhood.
The feature launched on Android in June, so it only makes sense that the company would add the feature to the iOS version of its app too. If users are inclined, they can also follow specific businesses to make sure they're always in the loop on changes, events, or anything else new.
The For You tab is just the latest update to encourage Google Maps users to be more social with their whereabouts and interests. In February 2017, Google Maps added a feature that allowed people to create lists of their favorite locations. Users could then send those curated lists to family and friends through email, SMS, messaging apps, and of course, social media.
The company has also been adding plenty of other features to the app lately, such as sending your ETA to friends and family, controlling music directly from inside the app, and planning group dinners. In essence, the company wants the app to do more than just get you from Point A to Point B — and not everyone is thrilled about it.
Still, in our limited test of the new "For You" feature, it seems to be relatively unobtrusive. You have to click any of the large "explore" buttons at the bottom of the screen, and if you don't, you can simply search the map as usual. So long as it's not getting in the way of Google Maps' primary functions, it probably couldn't hurt to know that there's a cheap bar right near the office.
