Google Maps allows users to add photo updates without leaving a review

Google Maps is introducing three new ways for users to add useful content to others, including the ability to share quick photo updates without leaving comments.

The Google Maps features announced today are intended to make it easier to share and find local recommendations, and a new challenge from the community can add some fun to the process.

Google Maps photo updates

A new type of content will be implemented soon on Google Maps, called photo updates.

Photo updates allow users to share experiences and highlights with recent photos without leaving a comment.

A photo update consists of a recent image of a place with a brief text description.

To add a photo update, start by selecting a location on Google Maps and go to the “Updates” tab. Then, tap the “Add a photo update” button.

From there, select the photos and add a brief description. Users can upload as many photos as they want in a single photo update. Updates to other people’s photos can be viewed on the same Updates tab.

This makes the process of sharing photos on Google Maps more casual, similar to how you share photos on social networks.

Photo updates can lead to a flow of user uploads to places and businesses. These photos can help others decide where to visit next.

Draw roads on Google Maps

Soon, Google Maps users will be able to report changes to the roads, drawing new or missing roads with an editing tool on the desktop.

When a road is missing from the desktop version of Maps, click on the side menu button and select “Edit the map”.

From there, select “Missing road” and start making edits by drawing lines. The road editing tool will also allow users to rename roads, change the direction of the road, and realign or delete incorrect roads.

See a brief demonstration of the road editor in this video provided by Google:

In the road editor, users can tell Google if a road is closed with details such as dates, reasons and directions. All user edits on a road will be reviewed by Google and published.

This feature will be launched in the coming months for all 80 countries that already allow users to report updates on the roads.

Google Maps Community Challenge

Google is testing a new community challenge feature that aims to encourage Maps users across the country to contribute more reviews, photos and updates.

The community challenge will be live on Android in the United States for the next month. Users can participate in the challenge by accessing the Contribute tab and selecting the option “Participate in the Local Love challenge”.

Each contribution will count towards a collective goal of updating 100,000 companies in one month. Feedback from this challenge will help to create campaigns in more countries in the future.

Source: Google