On vacation and want to know where the locals go? Looking for a new place to grab food on your lunch break? Waiting on the platform for your next train and wondering when it’s scheduled to arrive? Starting this week, you can spend less time searching for your answer and more time exploring the world with the Google Maps app for Android and iOS.
Now, whenever you want to discover places in your area, simply tap the new Explore button at the bottom right corner of your map to get a quick look at what’s nearby (where available). With Explore as your guide, you’ll see different places and activities that adapt to each area and moment throughout your day. This also works when you’re browsing other neighborhoods and cities on the map so you can plan your day’s outing or daydream about your next vacation.
The results you get in Explore not only tell you what’s nearby—and you can decide if “nearby” means a five-minute walk or a 20-minute drive—but they actually change based on context like the time of day and the weather, too. So don’t worry about wandering over to a breakfast spot for dinner, or arriving at the park just in time for a thunderstorm. You’ll get best results when you’re signed in with location reporting and history turned on.
Once you’ve arrived at your destination, you can get even more relevant information. If you’re using an Android device, tap on the My Location button at the bottom right or on the blue dot on the map, and you can quickly access more info about your location such as restaurant reviews and transit schedules, or simply save the place for later. Over time, your location experience will improve as you confirm the places you visit.
So next time you’re deciding where to brunch, or you want to check out your restaurant’s reviews while you wait for friends to arrive, open up your Google Maps app and Explore.
