Google Maps Now Lets Users Know How Busy a Place is

Google on Thursday announced it has expanded its “busyness” feature in the Google Maps app to give users live information on whether a place is crowded or empty. For instance, if you are planning to go to a restaurant, you’ll be able to see how many people are there.

The company explained that the update was necessary as part of the response to the coronavirus pandemic. The update will help people know what to expect when heading to a public place.

Google also said it has expanded the feature to cover more outdoor areas, like beaches and parks, and essential places, like grocery stores, gas stations, laundromats, and pharmacies.

When the feature is available, users will only need to launch the Maps app on their Android or iPhone ($699 at Amazon) or navigate to Google Maps in their browsers and move around on the map until they find where you want to go.

The company also revealed that the busyness information will appear on the map, so users don’t need to search for a specific place to see how crowded it is. It’ll say something like “Not busy,” “Busier than usual,” or “As busy as it gets.” Google says this new Maps feature will roll out in the coming weeks.