Google Maps Will Tell You What Shops Actually Do

You’re abroad in a foreign country, enjoying the sites when you realise you have no idea what’s actually around. After asking what may or may not be around the area you decided to pop into one of the many local restaurants. Google wants to make all of this easier by making your Google maps smarter and knowledgeable about what shops actually do.

The feature is currently rolled out in Japan and lets businesses list themselves as one of over a thousand categories, with 19 languages including Arabic, English, French, German, Korean, Russian and Spanish listed amongst the supported languages it covers a wide range of the population. In contrast to how you would discover the shops type normally, these categories appear on the map alongside its small icon.

The idea is a simple one, with Japan giving the example of everything from drugstores, bookstores, and ramen restaurants being clearly marked on their maps. With business categories going live in Japan today, the next time you load up Google maps in the country you’ll be able to find everything you want with a single glance. With no news about the feature rolling out in other countries, it’s expected that this will become a standard feature to help you navigate to your local store, no matter which country you’re in.