Google Maps received an update today that introduces a couple of potentially useful new features, including a new section that lists notable events happening nearby.

The new Events section lives at the bottom of the Explore tab, where users can find a variety of things listed depending on what's going on in their location.

google maps events section
Google says Events that appear in the new section can include everything from late night comedy shows to movie screenings in the local park.

Also new in version 4.57, cycling and walking directions now feature a handy elevation chart, offering users an idea of how much physical effort they can expect to exert for the route in question.

Elevation information has been available for some time on the Google Maps website, so having the data in-app should come as a welcome addition.

Google Maps can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

flyinmac Avatar
96 months ago
Updated how many times Google's Maps App continually reports back to their servers about your location data that is "anonymous" but continually does so about 13x per minute against your EXPLICIT settings denying the app to do so under Settings> Privacy> Location.
On the flip side... if I deliberately open an app to track my location and give me directions from where I am at this moment to where I want to be, then I do obviously want to be tracked accurately by the millisecond (considering driving speed).

Alternatively, I do suppose you could go with less frequent tracking. Perhaps that’s why Apple maps seems to think I should drive my car into lakes, oceans, rivers, or any other body of water that isn’t actually a road. It does occasionally choose a different destination, like a guard rail, a mountain, or a median.

I use GPS to locate job sites all day long. Apple maps frequently activated accidentally. When I realize that I’m driving in circles or being told to crash the car, I switch to Google Maps.

If I don’t want my activity tracked, I probably wouldn’t be deliberately using a location tracking navigation device or application.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DeepIn2U Avatar
96 months ago
Updated how many times Google's Maps App continually reports back to their servers about your location data that is "anonymous" but continually does so about 13x per minute against your EXPLICIT settings denying the app to do so under Settings> Privacy> Location.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
subjonas Avatar
96 months ago
Google maps is really starting to irritate me with its cluttered interface. When I open the app, 40% of the screen is the map and the rest is covered in menus and information I have no need for or requests for information I don’t want to input.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DeepIn2U Avatar
96 months ago
On the flip side... if I deliberately open an app to track my location and give me directions from where I am at this moment to where I want to be, then I do obviously want to be tracked accurately by the millisecond (considering driving speed).

Alternatively, I do suppose you could go with less frequent tracking. Perhaps that’s why Apple maps seems to think I should drive my car into lakes, oceans, rivers, or any other body of water that isn’t actually a road. It does occasionally choose a different destination, like a guard rail, a mountain, or a median.

I use GPS to locate job sites all day long. Apple maps frequently activated accidentally. When I realize that I’m driving in circles or being told to crash the car, I switch to Google Maps.

If I don’t want my activity tracked, I probably wouldn’t be deliberately using a location tracking navigation device or application.
For your livelihood indeed you need accurate and safe tracking and map routing.

My post was specific to those that don't want to be tracked when the app is NOT in use, specifically closed. I should've been more specific sorry.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lepertFLA Avatar
96 months ago
I wonder which sources that Google Maps will get the information for "nearby events" and how often the info is updated...?
I agree... we would really like to know how this content is being generated. Is it contribution content or are they looking at people's Google calendars and creating content from that.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
5105973 Avatar
96 months ago
Google maps makes Apple maps look like something from the stone age. With all that money Apple has, you would think they will invest in a half way decent app. Real shame what a joke Apple maps is.
I guess it depends where you live. I continue to hear and believe the horror stories people on this forum tell about Apple Maps. But because Apple invested in surveying my region, my experience is largely positive.

I prefer my Android phones for a lot of reasons, but Apple did such a great job surveying my region right down to backwoods routes that are barely paved. I love the taps I get on my Apple Watch alerting me to when I need to start changing lanes. So it may end up being Apple Maps and not iMessage that keeps me on an iPhone.

I am not fond of driving and I’m absolutely wretched at navigating, so Apple Maps has made a world of difference to a very stressful commute in a region that is an absolute commuters nightmare with traffic problems galore even on the rural routes. When they started transitioning agricultural land to McMansion neighborhoods they neglected to care if existing infrastructure could support the increased traffic. It can’t. So we end up with almost daily accidents that result in cars being shunted to alternate routes causing traffic jams for miles on roads that look like something out of “Deliverance” and by all rights should be nearly empty.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Clicks Communicator Feature

'Clicks Communicator' Unveiled — Will You Carry This With Your iPhone?

Friday January 2, 2026 6:35 am PST by
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator. The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Low-Price 12.9-Inch MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Reportedly Launching Early This Year

Friday January 2, 2026 9:08 am PST by
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce. In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing." TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...
Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature Pink

Apple's 2026 Low-Cost A18 Pro MacBook: What We Know So Far

Friday January 2, 2026 4:33 pm PST by
Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook in 2026, which will apparently compete with more affordable Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Apple's most affordable Mac right now is the $999 MacBook Air, and the upcoming low-cost MacBook is expected to be cheaper. Here's what we know about the low-cost MacBook so far. Size Rumors suggest the low-cost MacBook will have a display that's around 13 ...
Apple Fitness Plus hero

Apple Announces New Fitness+ Workout Programs, Strava Challenge, and More

Friday January 2, 2026 6:43 am PST by
Apple today announced a number of updates to Apple Fitness+ and activity with the Apple Watch. The key announcements include: New Year limited-edition award: Users can win the award by closing all three Activity Rings for seven days in a row in January. "Quit Quitting" Strava challenge: Available in Strava throughout January, users who log 12 workouts anytime in the month will win an ...
Mac Pro Feature Blue

What's Happening With the Mac Pro?

Wednesday December 31, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Mac Pro since 2023, and according to recent rumors, there's no update coming in the near future. In fact, Apple might be finished with the Mac Pro. Bloomberg recently said that the Mac Pro is "on the back burner" and has been "largely written off" by Apple. Apple apparently views the more compact Mac Studio as the ideal high-end pro-level desktop, and it has almost...