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Q. Thanks for your recent article about Google Maps showing the busiest times at stores and restaurants. That’s been really helpful for me and my family to avoid crowds.
But is there any way to see how busy a place is right now? Where we live stores and restaurants are beginning to open up again, and Google’s chart of busiest times may not actually show how busy places are right now.
I really want to avoid crowds, and I’m hoping that some tech can help me do that. If there’s a way of seeing how busy a place is right now, could you do an article on that?
A. Great question. You’re right, times are changing, some restrictions are being lifted, and places like stores and restaurants may be opening up again. We want to avoid crowds and avoid waiting in lines to enter a store or restaurant, especially during a pandemic.
But some restrictions may remain in place, such as limiting the number of customers in stores and restaurants to allow for social distancing. Your favorite restaurant may be open, but also may have restrictions on the number of tables available for customers.
Check out => Free Stuff to Help You While Social Distancing
Knowing whether a place is traditionally busy on a certain day and time can be helpful. But seeing whether a store or restaurant is busy right now can make a big difference when you’re trying to avoid crowds.
By seeing live data, you could learn whether you can visit a restaurant now, without having a long wait for a table. You could see whether you could enter a store now, without having to wait in a long line to enter.
The good news is that Google Maps does have Live Visit Data, showing whether a place is busy right now. By seeing this data, you can make an informed decision about whether you should visit a place now or wait until a later time.
Tip => If the place you want to visit is busy now, you can use Google Maps Popular Times to plan a time and day that should be less crowded. Or you could wait until Google Maps shows that place is less busy.
See, How Google Maps Can Help You Avoid Crowds at Stores, Restaurants and More
How to See Live Visit Data on Google Maps
Google Maps includes Live Visit Data for places on both the Google Maps website and in the Google Maps app. Live Visit Data shows you how busy a place currently is compared to how busy it typically is.
Google Maps explains that Live Visit Data “shows how active your location is right now. Live Visit Data is updated in real time and overlaid on the Popular Times graph.”
To see how busy a place is right now on the Google Maps website or the Google Maps app, search for a place near you, such as a store or a restaurant. Scroll down to the Popular Times graph.
Look for the Live red box and a red bar at the current time, showing how busy a place is right now. The red bar will be overlaid on top of a bar that shows how busy a place usually is at this time.
If you don’t see a red bar, or don’t see a Popular Times graph, then Google Maps doesn’t have information about how busy that location is.
Don’t miss => How Google Maps Can Help You Avoid Crowded Trains, Buses, and Subway Cars
Availability
While Live Visit Data can be very helpful in showing you whether a place is busy right now, you should know that not all places show Live Visit Data on Google Maps. Even places that have Popular Times listed may not have Live Visit Data available. If you only see blue bars on the Popular Times graph, then Live Visit Data isn’t currently available for that place.
This Popular Times graph doesn’t show Live Visit Data:
Google Maps relies on people visiting who have allowed Location History in the app on their phones. If not enough people who have allowed Google Maps Location History visit a place, then Google Maps won’t have enough information to provide Live Visit Data or Popular Times.
Check out => How to REALLY Turn Off Google Location History
Not every location has a Popular Times graph, and fewer have Live Visit Data. But if you’re heading out and want to see whether a place is busy right now, Google Maps Live Visit Data may be able to give you the information you need.
Your Thoughts
Do you plan your trips to try to avoid crowds? Have you used Live Visit Data or Popular Times on Google Maps to plan a trip to a shop or restaurant? Will you check Google Maps to see whether a place is currently busy?
Share your thoughts in the Comments section below!
Google maps is very helpful for a guy like me who works in delivery.. it helps me avoid traffic.. but I didn’t know about this feature
thanks for the details
Hi Peter, Yes, Google Maps is well-known for helping people avoid traffic jams. See => How Google Maps Can Help You Avoid Future Traffic Snarls.
And Google Maps can also help you avoid crowds in many places, in the future or in real time. I’m so glad this is helpful for you, Peter.
Very informative post. I did not know the feature of the google map to check crowded areas. It is an important thing in the time of covid19
Hi Sourav, Yes, avoiding crowds is appealing any time, but especially now with COVID-19 it’s even more important. Avoiding crowds now can help keep us safer from the virus.
Yes, you are right. Thanks for sharing such a helpful post.
Hii CAROLYN
Thanks a lot for sharing this awesome info. Yes, google map will show whether shop is crowded or not, this helps for social distancing and avoid contact with people.
Thanks once again. Keep it up.
Hi Abhishek, You’re right, social distancing is much easier when places are less busy. By using this feature of Google Maps you can learn whether a place is busy right now and know whether you can social distance effectively there.
Thanks for sharing the update. Do you know if this feature was updated or expanded recently related to social distancing?
Hi Deborah, Great question. Live Visit Data has been available in Google Maps since before COVID-19 but is more important than ever now with shops and restaurants opening up as restrictions are lifted.
Hi Carolyn,
I am using Google Maps all the time but I had never seen this so I had to take a look. Unfortunately, it looks as though this feature is not available in Germany (where I live) – or I am blind. I cannot even find the “most popular times” feature.
That is really sad as this seems so useful in view of Covid-19 and the need to distance and avoid crowded places.
Hopefully, this feature will be available in Germany, soon!
Thanks for this!
Susanna
Hi Susanna, I’m sorry that this feature isn’t available where you are living as it can be quite helpful. I hope Google Maps does bring this information to Germany so that you can better plan when to visit places and avoid crowds.
This is a simple feature of Google Maps but one of its most useful ones! Great for shoppers to know when to visit any local shop.
Hi Federico, Yes, this feature can be extremely useful any time, and particularly during the pandemic. There is rarely a time when you want to be around crowds when shopping and this feature can help you avoid them.
I am using Google Maps for at least 10 years now. But first time I come to know about this feature.
Hi Abhishek, I’m so glad this article was helpful for you. That’s exactly why I write The Wonder of Tech, to help people discover fun and useful tech.
This is a cool feature, I’m guessing they made this especially for COVID-19, so people can avoid crowded places. technology is getting so useful
Hi Unoke, Good guess, this would seem like a timely innovation, but this feature has been available from Google Maps since before COVID-19. But it certainly is most valuable now that we are trying to avoid crowds to stay safe from the virus.
Thank you for sharing such valuable content. Google Maps are very important for every businessman and the individual person. This will be really helpful for the prevention of COVID-19 as people can avoid crowded places and opt for a safer and better option.
Hi Ema, Yes, this feature of Google Maps can help both customers and businesses. Customers can plan their trips when places are less busy and businesses can have a more even traffic flow. This is a very helpful feature of Google Maps.