Google Maps can now ‘vibe check’ a neighborhood before you visit

Google announced a number of new features and software updates at its Search On event this week. Few were as intriguing as the new “vibe check” feature for Google Maps. Google already provides plenty of detailed information about cities all around the planet, but with neighborhood vibe, you can get a more holistic view of an area.

Once the feature rolls out, Google Maps users can vibe check by selecting neighborhoods on the map. Google Maps will then show you photos and information to give you an idea of why people love (or avoid) that neighborhood. Whether you’re looking for a quiet stroll or an all-night party, you’ll be able to tell what a neighborhood offers at a glance.

Google shared a vague explanation for how the neighborhood vibe feature works:

To determine the vibe of a neighborhood, we combine AI with local knowledge from Google Maps users who add more than 20 million contributions to the map each day — including reviews, photos and videos.

Google says that vibe checks are coming to Google Maps on iOS and Android in the coming months, but didn’t reveal an exact release date for the new feature.

Other new features coming to Google Maps

Google also announced three updates for existing Google Maps features today:

• Google added over 250 photorealistic aerial views of global landmarks to the immersive view on Google Maps, including the Tokyo Tower and the Acropolis.
• Live View is getting a search feature that will let Google Maps users more easily find ATMs, coffee shops, grocery stores, transit stations, and other hot spots in the area.
• Google is bringing its eco-friendly routing technology to third-party developers, which will allow them to “enable eco-friendly routing in their apps and measure fuel consumption and savings for a single trip, multiple trips, or even across their entire fleet to improve performance.”

Read more about Google’s announcements today at the company’s Search On hub.

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