Google Maps Gets Curated Recommendations, Customised Lists, and More to Help Users Plan Travels

Google Maps is getting three new updates that are designed to assist users on their travels. In order to provide personalised suggestions to users, Google has added curated lists of recommendations from top sites and the Google Maps community on Maps. The second Google Maps update lets users compile a list of places they want to go and keep track of the places they have been. Additionally, Google is bringing AI to Maps to offer summarised key insights for searched places. The company is also bringing a design update for Google Maps.

Alphabet-owned Google, announced the arrival of new features on Google Maps via a blog post on Thursday (March 28). The first Maps update will assist users in discovering curated recommended lists from top sites and the Google Maps community. When users search for a city in Maps they can swipe up to see curated lists of recommendations from people who know the city well. Additionally, users can avail of suggestions from sites such as Lonely Planet and OpenTable. This feature will be available this week in 40 cities in the US and Canada. The list can be saved on the Maps app or shared with contacts.

Google Maps is making ready three types of curated lists. The “trending” list will include “places that have recently seen a spike in popularity on Maps.” The 'top' list identifies places that are consistently popular with the Maps community. Finally, the 'gems' list will assist in finding great restaurants that still fly under the radar.

Additionally, Google is making creating lists easier in Google Maps. With this update, users can create lists by tapping the New List button from the Saved tab. This will help to organise places they want to go and keep track of the places they have been to. while travelling, these listings can be used to organise recommendations like an itinerary. Users will be able to link to the list of content from their social channels. These updates roll out globally on Android and iOS later this month.

Finally, Google will now use AI to identify “key insights from the Maps community.” This AI-backed feature will use photos and reviews of a place to summarise what people love about the location when they search for a place in Maps.

Additionally, Google confirmed that a new design update is on the way for the Maps app. It is confirmed to get a refreshed home screen with fewer tabs and new pin colours.