Google Maps is today rolling out a new feature to all users on iOS and Android devices that will allow you to make lists of places that you can star, save..
Google Maps is today rolling out a new feature to all users on iOS and Android devices that will allow you to make lists of places that you can star, save and share with friends. There are three different lists types built in at launch – “Favorites,” “Starred Places,” and “Want to Go” – the latter which is designed to serve as a personal bucket list. However, you can also create your own custom lists which can be public, private, or shared with a link.
The feature has been in testing since this past fall among Google’s power users, Google Local Guides, and was built off the starring functionality that’s been available in Google Maps for over five years.
Being able to create and share lists of places could give Google Maps a more social feel to it. That’s an area that Google wants to explore, notes Maps lead product manager, Zach Maier.
Before, he says, Maps has been focused on getting people from point A to point B without getting lost. Now, “we want to help people break out of their routine, and do something new,” he explains.
To use the lists option, you tap the “Save” button that appears on the detail page for the location in question, whether that’s a business – like a restaurant, bar, or shop – or anything else. It can even be a drop pin you place on the map itself, Maier said. That’s helpful for marking specific destinations that aren’t otherwise discoverable in Google Maps, like a particular spot within a large, local park.
