GoKawiilKarandeep Singh / Android Authority
TL;DR Google Maps is getting food ordering, smarter personalized recommendations, a live transit widget, and conversational map edits through Ask Maps.
Food ordering and conversational contributions are launching in the US first, while the live transit widget and personalized features are rolling out wherever Ask Maps is available.
Ask Maps is also expanding to Australia, Brazil, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, and more than 150 countries and territories in English.
Google has announced several new features coming to Google Maps through Ask Maps, including the ability to order food directly from the app, more personalized recommendations powered by your Google data, a live transit widget, and conversational map edits.
The biggest addition is food ordering within Google Maps. This is a feature we previously discovered and reported on last month.
Users will now be able to discover restaurants and dishes along their route and place an order without leaving the app. For example, if you’re heading home from work, you can ask Maps to “order spicy pad kee mao with seafood for me to pick up on my way home.” Ask Maps will find nearby restaurants along your route that serve the dish you’re looking for, while also taking into account your saved places or dietary preferences. Once you choose a restaurant, the system automatically adds the requested dish to your cart so you can quickly review and complete your order.
Food ordering is rolling out in the US through partners including Square and Toast, with support from Uber Eats coming soon. Google also says it’s working on a Universal Commerce Protocol for food ordering, with DoorDash joining Square, Toast, and Uber Eats as inaugural partners.
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