Favorite Places are Getting a Big Update in Google Maps

Favorite Places are Getting a Big Update in Google Maps

Google Maps has long supported the notion of favorite places. But with a new update to the Android and iOS apps this week, the way that Maps handles these places is getting much more sophisticated.

I’ve been using the “Saved” feature in Google Maps for years to save my favorite places. When you “save” a place in Google Maps, it appears as a yellow star on the map. So for example, last year before our home swap in Paris, I saved a number of places I intended to visit (alongside some actual favorite places I had previously saved).

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The issue with this system is that it’s too simplistic. Just using my example above, you can see that there no difference between the places I was saving so I could visit them for the first time and those places that were already among my favorites. I tried to unsave places we didn’t care much more as we visited, but my map of Paris is still littered with stars.

This week, that’s going to change, thanks to a new update.

First, Google is improving its Maps app to support different types of saved places. So when you mark a place as “saved,” you can choose from a list of types of saved places. There are pre-set lists like “Want to Go” and “Favorites,” and you can of course add your own lists too. Finally!

(Google doesn’t mention this, but it should also support using a different colored star for each type of saved places list.)

Second, Google is also adding the ability to share your lists of saved places. This means you can save an entire list of favorite places with other easily now. So if a friend is going to Paris and wants some restaurant recommendations, I will be able to share my “Favorite Paris Restaurants” list with them. This works as you’d expect, using the Android share mechanism.

Google notes that these new shared places lists will work on the web-based Google Maps on PCs, and will work offline as well. Awesome.

 

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Conversation 14 comments

  • 442

    13 February, 2017 - 9:48 am

    <p>This is one thing that I think Google does far better at than Bing maps.&nbsp; Microsoft needs to step up here.</p>

    • 1792

      13 February, 2017 - 11:02 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#42245">In reply to </a><a href="../../users/Narg">Narg</a><a href="#42245">:</a></em></blockquote>
      <p>One thing that made Windowsphone less useful was it’s maps app and the lack of Google Maps (done by Google).</p>
      <p>&nbsp;</p>

    • 691

      13 February, 2017 - 12:37 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#42245">In reply to </a><a href="../../users/Narg">Narg</a><a href="#42245">:</a></em></blockquote>
      <p>Windows Maps already supports custom collections of saved places. These collections even sync with the web interface.</p>

  • 142

    Premium Member
    13 February, 2017 - 10:22 am

    <p>Excellent! This is long overdue. I was just saving some locations yesterday for an upcoming trip to Amsterdam and was wishing I could categorize places. Now I wish they would also allow notes to be added…</p>

  • 289

    Premium Member
    13 February, 2017 - 10:28 am

    <p>It’s been a while but this seems vaguely reminiscent of Collections on HERE Maps. Did that functionality not make it into Bing Maps after Microsoft kind of reasserted themselves following the depreciation of HERE?</p>

    • 691

      13 February, 2017 - 12:35 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#42254">In reply to </a><a href="../../users/Chris_Kez">Chris_Kez</a><a href="#42254">:</a></em></blockquote>
      <p>Collections are in Windows Maps.</p>

  • 7063

    13 February, 2017 - 11:55 am

    <p>Basically it sounds like they are porting some of the features from My Maps into the regular maps interface to make them easier to access. That’s good because it was always a bit clunky to have to remember to open the My Maps app to retrieve a collection of places.</p>
    <p><a href="https://www.google.com/mymaps/">https://www.google.com/mymaps/</a></p&gt;
    <p>&nbsp;</p>

  • 2036

    13 February, 2017 - 12:27 pm

    <blockquote><em><a href="#42254">In reply to </a><a href="../../users/Chris_Kez">Chris_Kez</a><a href="#42254">:</a></em></blockquote>
    <p>Bing maps on the web offers collections.&nbsp; Missing from the Windows app.</p>

    • 5496

      13 February, 2017 - 8:09 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#42266">In reply to </a><a href="../../users/quikah">quikah</a><a href="#42266">:</a></em></blockquote>
      <p>the Windows app has it.</p>

  • 4796

    13 February, 2017 - 1:04 pm

    <p>News Flash: Google implements a feature that Bing Maps (nee Here) has had for 5 years. &nbsp;Well done Google, welcome to 2013. &nbsp;</p>
    <p>Paul, have you tried Here on iOS/Android? The full offline/downloadable maps option is a major plus for Windows Maps (as it was previously in Here), especially when either travelling overseas (avoiding large data usage) or in rural areas of a country like Australia, Canada &amp; US with large areas of spasmodic mobile coverage. I’d be interested your views regarding the offline options on Android/iOS, and the pros/cons of Here vs Google Maps on these 2 OS’s. I’m assuming Google doesn’t offer full offline navigation (please compare that if it does, tho last I heard it only offered limited offline use ie a 5km radius, not a whole road trip across Europe for example, which Here &amp; Windows Maps&nbsp;both offer).</p>

  • 5496

    13 February, 2017 - 8:11 pm

    <p>I’m just saying, that this is already in the Windows phone maps.</p>

    • 5721

      13 February, 2017 - 11:37 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#42312">In reply to </a><a href="../../users/lordbaal1">lordbaal1</a><a href="#42312">:</a></em></blockquote>
      <p>Sure, Maps has this function, but try to do something VERY simple in Maps, try to add a stop. &nbsp;Not having that function alone make Maps unusable half baked crap.</p>
      <p>&nbsp;</p>

      • Care

        Premium Member
        19 February, 2017 - 12:32 am

        <blockquote><a href="#42328"><em>In reply to Edward Grego:</em></a></blockquote><p> On my Lumia 950 I just tap Add a place. It's already there.</p>

  • mortarm

    28 March, 2017 - 11:26 am

    <p>&gt;…you can see that [there's] no difference…</p><p>&gt;…you can[, of course,] add your own…</p><p>&gt;This means you can [share] an entire list of favorite places with [others more] easily now.</p>

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