Anyone who has ever used Google Maps likely knows the app has some cool uses that have nothing to do with navigation. One example is how Maps can tell you how busy a business is even before you walk in the door. Of course, Google doesn’t actually rely on business owners reporting how crowded it is. Instead, it’s a much simpler process that uses anonymized data from users who have turned on Location History.
Basically, when someone with Location History turned on visits a business, their phone sends location data that allows Google to show that activity to other users. With this, Google can easily figure out when places are busy, how long you might wait, and how long people typically stay. However, it’s worth noting that this info is only available if a business receives enough visits from users with Location History turned on, as users can’t add this data themselves, nor can business owners.
What data Google collects
It’s no secret that Google obtains all kinds of data from users around the world. Every person who has interacted with any Google service at some point is a tiny rock in that mountain of data. As such, those who use Google Maps and have their location turned on are actively contributing to the service’s data. The company then uses that information to estimate several metrics.
For instance, Google can estimate how long users usually stay at a location based on visit patterns observed over the past few weeks. It uses the same data to show wait-time estimates, calculating them differently depending on the type of business. For sit-down restaurants, for example, it reflects how long people typically wait to get a table. Similarly, the tech titan uses this data to show you the most popular times and user activity at a location in real time.
If you don’t want to share this information with Google, you can easily turn it off in your Google account settings or in Google Maps. That said, even if you don’t have the option turned on, you will still enjoy the benefits of Google Maps’ data and the many clever Google Maps tricks available to users.
