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Google Search and Maps adding ‘wait time’ estimates for your favorite restaurants

Popular Times in Google Search and Maps uses crowdsourcing to conveniently determine whether locations, like stores or movie theatres, are busy. As such, users can use this information to better schedule their visits. Now, the feature is adding wait times for your favorite restaurants.

Wait time estimates, along with Popular Times and Visit Duration, are based on anonymous historical data. Heading to a business listing in Maps or the respective card in Search will show the same Popular Times graph that users can tap and swipe on to navigate to the correct time slot and day.

However, when selecting an hour slot, the pop-up now features a new “Wait” entry. In the “Plan your visit” section that also includes how long people tend to stay, there is quick one-line summary of that day’s peak time. This longest waiting period is also highlighted on the graph in flashing pink.

The feature is “rolling out soon” to web and mobile Search and coming soon to Maps. Google notes that “nearly a million sit-down restaurants” should offer wait times when it is live.


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Avatar for Abner Li Abner Li

Editor-in-chief. Interested in the minutiae of Google and Alphabet. Tips/talk: abner@9to5g.com

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