How to use Google Maps as a social network

These profiles open up another feature in Google Maps: tracking and tracing. The idea is that you may want to follow local experts whose opinions are appreciated on places to visit, as well as friends and family. To track someone in Google Maps for Android or iOS, tap their name in a review or rating, then choose Follow.

To see your own, use the shortcut mentioned above in the Google Maps app: Contribute, then View your profile. Click on Trackbacks link (which will have a number next to it, even if it’s zero) to see who’s following you. You can also see the people you are following (and you can unsubscribe people if necessary).

To manually approve each new follower you receive, tap Edit profile, then Profile and privacy settings from your profile and activate Restricted profile switch. When your profile is restricted, only your followers will be able to see your reviews and ratings on Google Maps, as well as a list of those you follow.

Use the news feed

If you touch update then For you In the Google Maps mobile app, you’ll see a kind of news feed: extract updates from the people and companies you’re following, and add updates to nearby places that Google algorithms think might interest you (changes to local restaurant menu, for example).

Touch the three dots in the top right corner of any item in this feed to find options for editing several ways the feed works – you can specify areas that interest you and don’t, indicate which updates match your tastes and which ones no, and much more.

If you tap to open Explore and display the information tab below, you’ll see a similar list of updates based on where you’re currently. I noticed an overlap between the two screens in terms of photos and updates that were displayed, but if you’re in a new or unusual place that you don’t visit often, the Explore tab is likely to become more useful.

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