It’s easy enough these days to just ask Google Search what interesting places can be found nearby, but that’s still a few taps or spoken words away. What if you can get all of that information from a single button? Now you can! At least, once the latest Google Maps update hits your device and brings with it the fancy new Explore feature that will have you typing less and walking, or driving, around more.
In locations where such points of interest are available, Google Maps will display an Explore button at the bottom right of the map. This will bring up places, hot spots, activities, and other possibly interesting bits and bites that are going down in your area. Explore will also adjust its results to take into account not only the location but also the time of day, so you’ll have to check back to see if any new events have been added later during the day.
While Explore is smart enough to collate interesting information for you, it doesn’t dictate what “nearby” or “later” means. So you can decide whether you want to see places and events happening within a 5 minute walk or a 20 minute drive. You can even set it to the time of day you wish, so you can rest assured you won’t be missing out on important events in the evening, in case you decide to take that afternoon nap.
But even if you decide to stay in your own little corner of the world, Google Maps will have something for you. Explore Nearby will let you browse in more detail the places and events happening around you, including reviews, schedules, and more. And you can, of course, save those that pique your fancy for later. All of these coming in the Google Maps update that will be rolling out to users, as always, in a staggered fashion.
SOURCE: Google
