Google has finally returned the incredibly useful 'search nearby' feature to Google Maps. The feature disappeared with the Google Maps redesign, which the company officially rolled out to all users last month. Amidst all of yesterday's April fool jokes, the company made the announcement via a tweet.
As the name explains, the 'search nearby' feature lets you find businesses, restaurants, and other points of interest in the vicinity of an address, neighborhood, or any other location. Technically, the ability to search nearby never went away, as you could always do a follow-up search after typing in an address. But the 'search nearby' feature is better communicated, and is more user friendly, as you can control the zoom level to fetch relevant results within a particular distance.
Ever since Google redesigned Maps, the company has received a lot of flak on social networks, with users complaining about the disappearance of the feature. Although it's a small addition, users who were used to it will definitely breathe a sigh of relief.
Just a few months back, Google Maps were updated with new features like step-by-step preview, earth tours and real time traffic incident reports.