Google has added a new feature to Google Search that maps out a shop’s busiest times.
The new feature is aimed at helping you avoid those peak times when queues are at their longest and stocks, most likely, are at their lowest.
Type in the name of a shop in a standard Google search, tap on its title, and below the address info you’ll find a scrolling graph of busy times on each day. You won’t get specific numbers – just a graph reflecting relative busyness.
Google says that feature will work with “millions of places and businesses around the world,” though it didn’t seem to work with a couple of popular shops in London when we tried.
According to Google Maps and Search project manager Andrew Chen, though, “this feature is just beginning to roll out around the world so you might not see it just yet.”
Read more: Android M Features: What’s new?
If you’re wondering how Google gets its hands on this information, it’s achieved through anonymous Google Maps location data. That’s the same data it uses to tell you when road traffic is particularly bad on a certain section of your route.
In other recent news, Google has added the ability to use OK Google voice commands to send messages in popular chat apps.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
