Google Maps is getting three new features to help users with their travels, allowing them to better discover things to see and eat when planning a vacation. In a blog post, Andrew Duchi, Director of Product at Google Maps, gave a detailed explanation of the new features, which are basically curated recommendations and lists, customisation tools for list creation and sharing, and AI-powered insights. The update aims to make it easier to find inspiration, share travel recommendations, and get a better understanding of a place before visiting. Let’s take a detailed look at the three new Google Maps features.

Google Maps is introducing updates to its lists feature, providing users with curated recommendations from both trusted websites and the Google Maps community. These lists cover various cities in the US and Canada. When searching for a city, users can access curated lists of recommendations by swiping up in the Maps app. You also get the option to save these lists for future reference or share them with friends.

Google Maps also offers restaurant lists to help users find the perfect dining spot, whether they’re local residents or tourists. These lists are based on current trends and user preferences:

These lists will be live in more than 40 cities across the US and Canada this week. In the coming months, Google will also start highlighting some of the best lists from the Maps community. You can submit your list to Google at the email– listnominations@google.com for nominations.

Google Maps is introducing new customisation tools to enhance the user experience for creating and sharing lists of places. Users can now organise their lists by choosing the order in which places appear, making it easier to create chronological itineraries or ranked lists of favourite spots. Additionally, users can link to social media content, such as reviews or posts, within their lists to provide more context and recommendations. These features will be available globally on Android and iOS platforms later this month.

Google Maps now leverages AI to provide users with quick insights about places, making it easier to make decisions on the go. By analysing data from the Maps community, the AI identifies key highlights of a place, such as popular dishes at a restaurant or the atmosphere of a bar, summarised through photos and reviews. Additionally, when browsing photos of food, the AI can identify dishes and provide information from the menu, including pricing, popularity, and dietary options like vegetarian or vegan choices. These features aim to make the decision-making process easier for users, especially when exploring new locations.