Google Maps has been one of the most popular apps for navigation and discovering new places for many years. But many of us fell in love with it not only because it gets us from point A to point B, but also because of its additional features that make it much more than just a simple map. But that's about to change - Google has announced that it will finally bury one of its social features in the app.
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Specifically, it is the ability to follow other users' profiles and not vice versa.chat others follow yours. This feature was added to Maps with the aim of creating a smaller community network where people could recommend places, restaurants or businesses to each other. But according to Google, following turned out not to make much sense - so we have to say goodbye to it. According to the official statement, the following option will disappear in September 2025 and the update will take place automatically.
The good news is that users will not lose their profiles or the visibility of their reviews and posts. However, there will be no need to deal with who follows you or not, and the whole connection will be simplified. If you want to continue sharing tips for interesting places, you will be able to do so as before, just without a follower list. Google also reminded that there is still a Local Guides Connect community, which is intended to function as a space for discussions or organizing local meetings.
The feature that remains, on the other hand, is shared lists. These are among the most popular elements of the application and Google has no plans to limit them. It will still be possible to create your own collections of places, share them with friends, add notes to them or invite other users to add to them. So it can be said that the most practical way of "social" connection in Maps will be preserved.
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Interestingly, a few weeks ago, there were hints in the Android app code that Google was planning to discontinue the Followed Places feature. At the time, it seemed like an experimental step, but now it is clear that this is a definitive decision. Google is making it clear that Maps They are primarily intended to be a tool for navigation and trip planning, not another social network.
