Google Maps Gains New AI Tools, Updated Recommendation Lists and More

Google today announced several changes that it is making to the Google Maps platform, including an AI update. Google Maps now provides better at-a-glance information on locations, with the details powered by Google AI.

Google maps feaure purple
Maps shows photo highlights and reviews that summarize what people like about a location. A restaurant's food items can be identified using AI, and Google Maps will also provide cost, potential availability, and whether or not it caters to dietary restrictions.

Google says that it will now be easier to discover helpful recommendation lists from top sites and the Google Maps community in select cities in the U.S. and Canada. To use the feature, search for a city and swipe to see curated lists of recommendations from people familiar with the city. There are also Trending, Top, and Gems lists that highlight popular locations to visit when traveling. The feature is available in 40 cities this week, with more coming in the future.

To go along with the change to recommendations, Google is adding new customization tools for creating lists in Maps. Google Maps users can choose the order that places appear in their created lists to rank them, and there are options to link content from social channels. Google says that the list updates will be rolling out on Android and iOS later this month.

Finally, Google Maps users can expect to see a refreshed design that includes a cleaner home screen with fewer tabs and new pin colors that make it easier to find places on the map.

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Top Rated Comments

sw1tcher Avatar
9 months ago

Google Maps Sucks ®️
Looks like you misspelled Apple :p
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Japan Ricardo Avatar
9 months ago
"...select [sic.] cities in the U.S. and Canada..."

Well, that's helpful then.

But it's okay, because Google and I are never, ever, ever getting back together...
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vicviper789 Avatar
9 months ago
Neat. How do I disable these features?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Japan Ricardo Avatar
9 months ago

Does anyone actually prefer Apple Maps over Google Maps?
Yes. Including me. (Tim Cook, presumably.)
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Verified Whiskey Avatar
9 months ago
I am getting so sick of “AI” buzzwords. Can this phase be over now, please? Just make things smart and don’t hide features behind AI marketing fluff.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iksretep Avatar
9 months ago

You cant have enough, right ?
It's getting to the point that recommended, trending, top, no1, etc. supersede what I'm looking for ... what happened to the whole think different, oh wait this is Google Maps ... carry on :cool:
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)