Apps

Google Maps now warns you when navigating to a business that’s already closed (or will be when you arrive)

18

Google Maps business hours notification navigation

An update is rolling out now to Google Maps that introduces a new feature you wont believe you’ve been able to live without. As detailed in the changelog of the app’s Play Store listing, Google Maps will now tell you when a place or business you’re navigating to is closed, or will be closed by the time you get there. How’s that for convenience?

For those unaware, Google Maps already lists business hours for most places, but sometimes this gets overlooked when you’re quickly looking up an address for navigation. On a personal note, this would have come in handy yesterday when I was running on empty and navigating to a nearby Costco for a fill up, only to find out it was one of the few locations that was actually closed on Sundays.

Oh, the update also shows car rental reservations (pulled from Gmail) in ‘my events.’ A splendid update, indeed. Thank you, Google. Sometimes it’s the little things that matter most.

Chris Chavez
I've been obsessed with consumer technology for about as long as I can remember, be it video games, photography, or mobile devices. If you can plug it in, I have to own it. Preparing for the day when Android finally becomes self-aware and I get to welcome our new robot overlords.

LastPass wants you to change your master password after security breach

Previous article

Hurry: Nexus 6 only $440, but quantity is limited [DEALS]

Next article

You may also like

18 Comments

  1. old news… apple maps has the hours of the businesses posted when you put it in and it says whether it is open or not…

    1. Still not as reliable as Google Maps though

    2. *navigates you off a cliff*

      “You’ve arrived at your destination.”

      1. “Make a u-turn”

        “Make a u-turn”

        “Make a u-turn”

        “Make a u-turn”

    3. Google maps has had this as well,w/a tap on the “Tack” at the destination requested.
      This takes it a step further,a more “in your face” notification…….

    4. It’s not that Apple Maps sucks that much, it’s just that Google Maps is better.

  2. honestly they are both give or take these days… i use apple for work and android for fun… have both maps on the iphone… and both have lead me astray… but the gap is definitely not as big as it used to be

    1. I hear ya,neither are absolutely infallible.
      Google Maps always puts my location at work about a 1/4-1/2 mile away from my actual location.
      In the same scenario,Google Navigation has you drive through a stretch of water about 200 yds. ;-)
      It gets confused because the street name on both sides of the channel is the same……..

    2. So there used to be an iHop (Ihop?) in the middle of I-10. There was also an office on the Beltway (Tollway). It was nice to be told to stop dead in the middle of running traffic and exit to your location.

  3. it definitely is not the joke that it was… that lead me to the middle of nowhere back in the day

  4. This feature popped up for me tonight.. Was heading to a location with a client and Google Maps informed me that it would likely be closed. Was fantastic and saved us a trip.

  5. Challenge accepted!

  6. How have I ever lived without this?

  7. Thank you Google. I got burned by the lack of such warning once, when Google Now was sending me to a chain location far away, when I knew there’s once closer. I only understood why when I arrived at the location I thought would have been open.

  8. Hmm… Being in Houston, most businesses I travel to *are* open. I usually know the closing times already. Other times I usually plan before using navigation. I kinda don’t feel like migrating to trusting this just yet. I’ll wait and lurk at the reviews to see if I can start using it.

  9. All hail Sky-Net!….I mean, “Google”;)

  10. AMEN. I’ve searched for business hours thousands of times in Google Maps. I’ve arrived somewhere only to find it closed one too many times. After cursing my stupidity and lack of foresight at the top of my lungs while using the steering wheel as a punching bag, on a couple dozen occasions, I don’t even leave the house without checking hours anymore.

  11. Of course, their hours aren’t always accurately reported…
    One of my favorite restaurants has summer hours now. Probably their fault, not Google’s.

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in Apps