Minutes ago, Google announced Near Me Now, a new feature available on its home page on iPhones and Android phones.
Thanks to your phone’s GPS, Google will now automatically keep tabs of your location, allowing you to search for information about your immediate surroundings without entering any text.
In the announcement Google explains “Near me now” was designed to address two user problems. First, we wanted to make it fast and easy to find out more about a place in your immediate vicinity, whether you’re standing right in front of a business or if it’s just a short walk away.”
For example, you may want to know what other customers think about a restaurant before you go inside (see quick video below), or what they have been raving about on the menu before you order. By selecting the “Explore right here” option, you can find out more about a place “right here,” with just a few clicks.”
The potential here, not just for businesses, but for people to discover information about the area they’re currently stationed is not to be underestimated. There are mobile apps for this kind of thing but integrated into your most used application makes it a whole lot more useful.
Unfortunately, the feature is only available in the US.
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.