Google Maps now requests access to your iPhone screenshots for undisclosed purposes.
Having a blast planning your next vacation with the gang? You betcha! The group chat's flooded with links and snaps of cool spots you wanna visit or coffee shops to hit. Well, Google's got your back on that with a fresh new feature!
Now, you can stack up multiple locations on a Google Maps list by using those very screenshots, thanks to a nifty AI named Gemini. Google's dropping this bad boy first on iOS devices (talk about switchin' sides!), and it's currently limited to the US terrain. But hey, Android and global expansion are on the damn horizon!
Adding Locations to Google Maps Automagically: The Lowdown
To get started, make sure you've got the latest version of Google Maps installed on your iPhone. Once that's taken care of, navigate to the "You" tab in the app. Voilà! At the top of the screen, there'll be a "Screenshots" list. Tap it, and Google Maps will ask for photo library access. You can either give it full permission for the auto-scan feature, or simply pick the images you want it to scan manually.
If you're all about the automated life, just keep takin' screenshots of places that catch your eye, be it the name, an address, or even a picture of a spot. Once you feel ready to add 'em to your Google Maps list, fling open the app once more. If Google Maps detects a location in your screenshots, it'll flash a message saying there are new spots waiting for ya to check out.
Click the "Review" button and select if you want to save the image and the places Google found in your "Screenshots" list or just hightail it outta there. Once that's squared away, you can add 'em to a different list if you fancy.
Here's a handy video to help you wrap your head around it all:
Prefer Manual Control Over Your Screenshots? Me too!
Alternatively, you can manually add spots to your Google Maps app using the "Screenshots" list for enhanced privacy.
Nip back to the "You" tab and select the "Screenshots" list. Toss in the screenshots you want the list to pick up. Google Maps will analyze the images, and BAM! The Review screen will pop up. Peruse the locations Google Maps dug up, and plop the ones you like into the "Screenshots" list.
But Should You Trust AI with Your Snaps? Ponder This...
This feature's as slick as a sharp knife, no doubt. But should you give Gemini the keys to all your iPhone pics just to save a few seconds when lookin' for a place on Google Maps?
If that gives you the heebie-jeebies, deny Google Maps full access to your photo library, even if you've yet to regularly use the "Screenshots" list feature. Don't forget to periodically check on your photo permissions – you can read more about it right here.
- You can use Google Maps to automatically add locations by taking screenshots on your smartphone and then allowing the app access to your photo library, or you can manually select screenshots from the "Screenshots" list and add them to your Google Maps list for enhanced privacy.
- With the new Google Maps AI feature, Gemini, tech enthusiasts can now stack up multiple locations on a Google Maps list using screenshots taken from their smartphones, making planning vacations and outings convenient and efficient, although there are privacy concerns associated with granting the app full access to your photo library.
