Google Updates Search, Maps to Help Users Plan Ahead During the Holidays

Google released a series of updates for Google Search and Google Maps, which were designed to help users manage their time during the holiday season.

First, Google updated the Popular Times feature in Google Search and Google Maps to show users a real-time look at how crowded a location is at the current time. The feature already showed users how busy a location traditionally is at different times during the day.

Next, when a user searches for a business on Google, they may be able to see the operating hours of specific departments and services at the location (where available), in addition to the hours for the overall business. For instance, if a store contains a pharmacy, Google may show users the pharmacy’s specific hours, in addition to the hours for the overall store.

Finally, Google updated Google Maps to help users in Chicago, Detroit, Houston and New York avoid the traffic caused by the Thanksgiving Day parades in those cities. Specifically, Google Maps will allow users in those cities to see the Thanksgiving Day parade route on the map, and the app will take road closures, transit schedule changes and detours into account when helping users navigate around those cities.

Readers: What do you think of these updates to Google’s products?

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