Google recently announced that it was bringing new updates to Google maps for photo and video sharing, which essentially gives users a more straightforward experience when sharing photos and videos to Maps on mobile devices, including Android and iOS.
Photos and videos from users help other people find out more details about places and Google Maps, including “vibes” or information such as menu and offerings at restaurants and businesses, for example. That in mind, if a user turns on media access for Google Maps on their phone, they’ll see media from recent experiences highlighted directly under the “Contribute” tab, which they can then tap on to post photos and videos.
Users will also be able to use Gemini to add captions to their photos, which they can then edit or remove; Google notes that AI caption suggestions are currently available in English on iOS in the U.S., and will be available globally for Android in the coming months.
Finally, users will be able to better track their contribution via a point system, which will can be viewed under the Contribute tab; likewise, local guide levels will also be highlighted on a user’s profile page. Google adds that it’s updating achievement badges to rank users based on their level of expertise on the platform, as well as making it easier to spot high-level contributers with gold-colored profiles.
