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Google Maps Makes it Easier to Explore Your Surroundings

A redesigned Explore tab offers recommendations for restaurants, bars, and cafes in any area you're interested in researching. The app also now offers trending lists of places you might want to check out, culled from local experts and Google's algorithms.

By Angela Moscaritolo
June 27, 2018
Google Maps redesigned Explore tab

Heads up, explorers: Google is rolling out some new Maps features designed to help you figure out where to go, not just how to get there.

First unveiled last month, a redesigned Explore tab rolling out now to Google Maps on iOS and Android offers recommendations for restaurants, bars, and cafes in any area you're interested in researching. The app also now offers trending lists of places you might want to check out, culled from local experts and Google's algorithms.

Plus, if you have Location History enabled, you'll now see a "Your match" numeric rating for each restaurant or bar. This will give you an idea of "how likely you are to enjoy a place based on your own preferences," Google Maps Senior Product Manager Sophia Lin wrote in a Tuesday blog post. For more personalized recommendations, you can head over to Settings and select the types of cuisines you're into—and the ones you'd rather skip.

On Android, Maps will automatically keep track of your progress against the new trending lists. "So if you're on a mission to try the 10 best tacos in your area and you've only tried 5, Google Maps will note that for you so you can get to the tacos pronto," Lin wrote.

Another handy feature limited to Android at the moment surfaces local events and activities within the Explore tab. "You can see photos, descriptions, and filter by categories like 'good for kids,' 'cheap,' or 'indoor or outdoor' so you can find just the right activity to fit your mood," Lin wrote.

Finally, a new "For You" tab, available on Android in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and Japan, will "keep you in the know about everything happening in areas you care about whether it's near your home, work, or a city you visit frequently," Lin wrote. You can follow specific neighborhoods, and Google will inform you if a new eatery opens in the area.

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About Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

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