Fun Google Maps update brings emoji to your saved places

What you need to know

• Google Maps is getting a new update to customize saved places.
• Users can now add emojis to their favorite places, like coffee shops, with a coffee cup emoji, for example.
• The new ability is already available for users on Android and iOS.

Google has rolled out a new update to its Maps app that allows users to create personalized emojis for their saved places.

Google Maps generally gives the ability to save your favorite places within the app, which could be any place like a restaurant, salon, or mall. While it is pretty basic to begin with, Google has decided to spice it up with the ability to add emojis alongside the labels we use to assign those places.

In a recent X post, Google Maps posted the announcement of the new update and the process of adding an emoji to your favorite place.

The steps involved are as simple as saving the place itself. After choosing the place, which could be an already visited one or a place you want to visit, users can hit the save button and either select an existing user-curated list or create a new one. Then hit the "Choose icon" at the top, which then opens up your regular emojis to choose from.

You can choose any emoji per your preference, for instance, a coffee cup emoji for your favorite coffee place or a taco emoji for the best coffee places. Until now, Google Maps showcased these places with typical pins, and it is good to see allowing users to add a personal touch with these customizable emojis.

While this is a fun change for Google Maps, it can look messy if there are too many places, particularly in closer surroundings. As one X user pointed out, in a scenario where there are multiple saved or favorite places in Google Maps, when zoomed out, it can clog up the map view with rather large icons, pins, and now emojis.

This can be a significant issue in lively cities normally packed with numerous popular places.

The same X user urged Google Maps to shrink or condense the pins so that they don't obscure the map when zoomed out. Another user suggests being able to toggle them on or off using a map layer. Google Maps has responded to one user, acknowledging the feedback and assuring that it will be passed on to the respective team.

The feature is already available for Google Maps on Android phones and iOS devices, it will likely roll out to users on desktop in the near future.

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