Google Maps Adds Collaborative Lists and Emojis

Google has added a feature to Google Maps that makes it easier for groups to plan trips.

This is one of three new features and updates that have been added to Google Maps, the company said in a Wednesday (Nov. 15) blog post.

Updates to the list feature in Maps enable users to begin the process of planning for a group trip by creating a collaborative list, according to the post. Then everyone in the group can add places they would like to visit and can vote on group activities by using emojis like a heart or a thumbs down.

“And just like that, you’ll have planned an outing from start to finish, right from Maps,” Amanda Leicht Moore, director of product, Google Maps, said in the post.

Google Maps is also adding emoji reactions that can be applied to photos, videos or reviews posted by members of the Google Maps community, the post said. In addition, with capabilities from Google’s artificial intelligence (AI) and Emoji Kitchen, the platform will generate emoji reactions that are tailored to the content.

A third update to Google Maps unveiled Wednesday is enhanced transit directions that enable users to see the best route to their destination based on ETA, number of transfers and length of trip, per the post. Filters are available to let users select the type of transit they want to take or a route that requires less walking.

Plus, in more than 80 cities around the world, users will see the location of station entrances and exits, the side of the street they are on, and a clear walking route to or from them, the post said.

The transit updates and the updates to lists will start rolling out globally on Android and iOS in the coming weeks, while the emoji reactions began rolling out globally on Android and iOS on Wednesday, according to the post.

These additions come about two weeks after Google added another feature to Maps: a small business attribute that allows merchants to prominently display their small business status and helps users quickly spot small businesses.

Eighty-four percent of consumers prioritize supporting local and small businesses, Matt Madrigal, Google’s vice president and general manager for merchant shopping, told PYMNTS’ Karen Webster in an interview posted on Nov. 1.