Google Search Will Warn You if Your Favorite Spots Are Busy
Google Search Will Warn You if Your Favorite Spots Are Busy
Picture this: You just spent the last 20 minutes Googling to find a good lunch spot, but when you get there the line is out the door. Awesome. Now you have to settle for something quicker and less than ideal.
Fortunately, you can now avoid this potentially day-wrecking problem, thanks to Google. The Web giant on Tuesday announced a small but handy new Google Search feature, which will show you when your gym, coffee shop, or lunch spot is busiest.
“Do you ever find yourself trying to avoid long lines or wondering when is the best time to go grocery shopping, pick up coffee, or hit the gym (hint: avoid Monday after work)?” the Web giant wrote in a Google+post. “You’re in luck!”
To try it out, just search for a business like “Blue Bottle Williamsburg” in Brooklyn, tap on the title, and you’ll see a little bar graph under the business phone number showing how busy it gets throughout the day and week. This way, you can see that it gets super busy at 3 p.m. on Fridays, so you can steer clear of it then, or mentally prepare yourself for having to wait in line.
Google said the feature is available for “millions of places and businesses around the world” right from Search. It should work on your mobile device and the Web, according to TechCrunch, but it appears to be rolling out now so if you don’t see it right away just sit tight.
Meanwhile, the new feature comes after Google in May rolled out a feature which lets you order food right from your search results. You can also now download your entire saved search history, if you’re interested in seeing a list of all the crazy stuff you’ve searched for over the years.