Google Maps now warns you about parking nightmares

Google Maps is about to get a whole lot more useful, with an update to the navigation app not only showing where there's parking at your destination, but how busy it's likely to be. The update, which will initially only be offered in Google Maps for Android and operate in select locations, adds a "Parking Limited" warning to route guidance. When you see that, you know that it's probably worth leaving early to give yourself extra time.

In fact, there'll be three levels of warning that Google Maps can offer, ranging from Easy, through Medium, and finally Limited. Google is using historical popularity data to figure out what level to show, much in the same way that it can calculate which are the popular times at venues, and how long on average people stay there. That's based on aggregated and anonymized data from users who have opted in to Google Location History.

Unfortunately, to begin with at least it also means there'll only be data in a handful of cities and districts. Google says it'll encompass 25 locations initially, though hopes to expand it over time.

San Francisco, Seattle, Miami, Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Diego, St. Louis, Tampa, Washington, DC, Cleveland, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Houston, Phoenix, Portland and Sacramento

Similarly, there's no word on when parking difficulty indicators will be coming to the iOS version of Google Maps. For the moment, it'll be rolling out to Google Maps for Android only, though we'd be surprised if that stayed the case forever.

It's only the latest expansion in Google Maps in recent months, pushing the app from being simply a way to get driving directions from A to B, and instead offering a more holistic travel guide. Earlier this month, for instance, Google integrated Uber ride-hailing directly within its Maps app. Previously, though you could see estimated wait-times and prices for Uber rides within Maps, you'd be switched over to the Uber app itself to actually book a car.

In December 2016, meanwhile, Google added wheelchair accessibility details to points-of-interest listings, helping those needing ramps and such to figure out where they could and couldn't go. In the same month, Google integrated a "find my friends" emergency style feature into the Maps app, dubbed Trusted Contacts, which can ping out an alert if someone finds themselves in a sketchy situation.

MORE Google