Google is reportedly working on a new Google Maps feature that will harness users’ food photos.
The new feature is in the testing phase right now, according to Android Police.
Level three Google Maps guides and above are apparently seeing a feature that essentially notices when they use their phone to capture a food picture at a restaurant or bar. Google Maps will then send a notification to that user asking if it can post the image for the benefit of other users.
You can already see voluntarily added location images when you tap on a pin in Google Maps. This feature would appear to give that function a little nudge along in the direction of food photography.
Not only will this new feature be handy for other users, it will also speed up the process of adding restaurant reviews to Google Maps. The blurb says that it will take “just two taps.”
Google already tested a stand-alone food photography service called Tablescape earlier in the year, but ended up closing it down. At the time, Google assured users that it hadn’t given up on food photography, and that “you may see the influence of Tablescape in future apps.”
That influence is clear in this latest Google initiative.
Related: Google Photos – How does it work?
While the new Google Maps feature in testing doesn’t explicitly mention food photography, it does make reference to taking photos of “restaurants, bars, meals and drinks” and of posting images of your “epic meal.”
Expect to see the feature rolling out to Google Maps proper if it proves to be a success with local guides.
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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.
