Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/9to5google
A recently spotted Google Maps update provides web users with a sidebar whose purpose is to enable instant access to recently viewed locations.
Compared to its mobile siblings, the Google Maps version that runs in a browser can’t be used for navigation. Its most common purposes are route planning and the exploration side of the service.
As such, the addition of the new sidebar is specifically targeted at enhancing these two features.
The Mountain View-based search behemoth has integrated a new option in the hamburger menu to let users view the recently accessed locations. This is the place where you’ll find the latest searches, therefore being able to load them again without the need for typing the address in the Google Maps search box.
The new Google Maps feature allows users to manage locations they consider including in an itinerary. By organizing them in a dedicated list, Google Maps makes it easier to include the locations in a planned journey, especially as the final route can then be transferred to mobile devices.
In addition to displaying a list of all recently viewed places, Google Maps also allows users to expand them for additional information. This way, you can view the full details about a specific place, though options to remove specific entries don’t seem to be available at the moment.
Google organizes locations in the same city under the same parent group. As such, you can create multi-stop routes more conveniently, though this approach also helps set up a long journey that goes through several cities.
Google has shipped the new quiet update only to a small set of users. Google is still in the testing phase, and the company hasn’t announced anything publicly. However, it’s expected to improve the availability in the coming weeks, especially because the final plan is likely to bring it to Android and iPhone too.
A dedicated list of recently viewed places would make it easier to configure navigation on mobile devices where the available screen estate is already limited. With potential options like “add to route”, such an update would allow users to plan their long journeys without having to turn to a computer.
In the meantime, Google Maps limits the number of multi-stop routes to 9 entries, whereas Apple Maps supports a maximum of 15 locations. If this feature makes its way to users on all platforms, Google should increase the Maps limit as well.
At this point, the limited test seems to require a Google account, possibly as the parent company wants the recently viewed location to eventually roam across devices. An official announcement from the search giant is expected to be made in the coming weeks as the feature availability improves on desktops.
As such, the addition of the new sidebar is specifically targeted at enhancing these two features.
The Mountain View-based search behemoth has integrated a new option in the hamburger menu to let users view the recently accessed locations. This is the place where you’ll find the latest searches, therefore being able to load them again without the need for typing the address in the Google Maps search box.
The new Google Maps feature allows users to manage locations they consider including in an itinerary. By organizing them in a dedicated list, Google Maps makes it easier to include the locations in a planned journey, especially as the final route can then be transferred to mobile devices.
In addition to displaying a list of all recently viewed places, Google Maps also allows users to expand them for additional information. This way, you can view the full details about a specific place, though options to remove specific entries don’t seem to be available at the moment.
Google organizes locations in the same city under the same parent group. As such, you can create multi-stop routes more conveniently, though this approach also helps set up a long journey that goes through several cities.
Google has shipped the new quiet update only to a small set of users. Google is still in the testing phase, and the company hasn’t announced anything publicly. However, it’s expected to improve the availability in the coming weeks, especially because the final plan is likely to bring it to Android and iPhone too.
A dedicated list of recently viewed places would make it easier to configure navigation on mobile devices where the available screen estate is already limited. With potential options like “add to route”, such an update would allow users to plan their long journeys without having to turn to a computer.
In the meantime, Google Maps limits the number of multi-stop routes to 9 entries, whereas Apple Maps supports a maximum of 15 locations. If this feature makes its way to users on all platforms, Google should increase the Maps limit as well.
At this point, the limited test seems to require a Google account, possibly as the parent company wants the recently viewed location to eventually roam across devices. An official announcement from the search giant is expected to be made in the coming weeks as the feature availability improves on desktops.
Google News