Many users have expressed dissatisfaction with the proliferation of Stories across various platforms, but Google Maps is taking a different approach. Rather than introducing ephemeral content formats, Google Maps is introducing a dedicated news feed. Google officially terms this new functionality the “Community Feed,” as it aggregates posts originating from local sources. However, its presentation mirrors that of a conventional news feed – a continuously scrolling list of posts where users can indicate their approval with a simple thumbs-up.

This feed, accessible through the Explore tab within the Google Maps application, is intended to streamline the discovery of current news, updates, and recommendations from reliable local businesses and individuals. This includes announcements from business owners utilizing Google My Business to inform customers about promotions, menu changes, and special offers. Initially, Google will prioritize showcasing posts from establishments in the food and beverage sector.

Businesses have long had the capability to publish these types of updates through Google’s suite of tools. Previously, however, users needed to actively follow a business’s profile to receive these updates.

Now, these same updates will be visible to all Google Maps users, even those who haven’t specifically chosen to follow a particular business. Google reports that this expanded visibility has already led to a significant increase in post views. Preliminary testing of the Community Feed revealed that businesses’ posts received more than twice the number of views compared to the period before the feed’s implementation.

Beyond posts from businesses, the new Community Feed will also incorporate content from Google users you follow, as well as recent reviews submitted by Google’s Local Guides – a volunteer program where participants share their local knowledge in exchange for benefits like profile badges and early access to Google features. Select publishers, including The Infatuation and other sources from Google News, will also contribute relevant content.

It’s important to note that much of this information was previously accessible within Google Maps.

For instance, the Google Maps’ Updates tab already provided a similar feed featuring business posts alongside news, recommendations, stories, and other discovery-focused features. The Explore tab previously organized businesses into thematic categories (such as outdoor dining or cocktail bars) at the top of the screen, allowing users to further explore lists and area photos.

With this update, those categorized business groupings will remain at the top of the screen, while the remainder of the tab will be dedicated to the scrolling feed. This redesign provides a more focused experience for the tab. It also potentially opens the door for Google to incorporate video posts in the future, mirroring the popularity of short-form video feeds popularized by TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat.

Currently, the feed maintains a more standard format. As you scroll, you can express your interest in posts by tapping “Like,” which will help refine future recommendations. You can also tap “Follow” on businesses to receive their alerts in your Updates tab. Notably, a commenting feature is not included.

Google anticipates that this change will encourage more frequent app usage as users seek out information about their surroundings – whether it’s a new announcement from a local business or a review from another user detailing a local activity, such as a day trip or hiking trail.

The feature is also beneficial when traveling or researching unfamiliar areas, as the “Community Feed” displayed is determined by the location you are viewing on the map, not your home or current location.

This feed represents the latest in a series of updates aimed at positioning Google Maps as a competitor to Facebook. Over the past several years, Google Maps has introduced features allowing users to follow businesses, similar to Facebook, and to directly message those businesses within the app, akin to Messenger. Businesses have also been able to create profiles within Google Maps, including logos, cover photos, and short names – features comparable to those offered by Facebook Pages.

The introduction of a news feed-style feature makes Google’s intention to emulate Facebook even more apparent.

Google has announced that the feature is being rolled out globally on Google Maps for both iOS and Android devices.