Google Maps has a new way for you to keep your finger on the pulse of your city and stay informed about all the best places to eat or places to go. In the past, people used to buy newspapers to keep up with all the goings-on around the city, but times, they are a-changing.
These days, if you want to know about a new great restaurant opening up or the latest hiking trail, you can find out by using the new community feed in Google Maps. There you will find the latest reviews, photos, and posts from local Google Maps experts, people you follow, food and drink merchants, and articles from publications such as The Infatuation.
You can even get updates from your favorite restaurants about a new dish being added to the menu, or browse top recommendations for things to do in your area. If you’d like to branch out to new spots in the city or the country, you can pan and zoom around the map discovering helpful information for almost any location in the world.
Your feed can also be further customized by your interests. For example, if you’ve marked Mexican food as one of your interests, the community feed will show you more photos, recommendations, and business posts about local places that serve that type of food.
Another new Google Maps feature now allows businesses to connect directly with customers to answer questions. Starting on December 2, 2020, verified businesses will be able to send messages to customers through the Google Maps app. Later, Google will also be extending this feature to Google Search allowing verified businesses to reply to questions from customers there as well.
Customers can initiate contact with businesses by tapping on the “Message” button found in the Business Profile section or from any post created by the business. Additionally, if you try calling a business and no one picks up, you’ll be prompted to send a message.
I’m sure we’re all thinking it, yes, Google now has yet another messaging app. However, at least this one could turn out to be super useful and most likely won’t be shuffled off to the Google Graveyard to join Allo and the other failed attempts.