Google Maps bug shows users fewer places to spend the night
A bug is giving Google Maps users running iOS and Android fewer options on where they can spend the night.
Google Maps bug hides hotels in search results | Image by PhoneArena
Google Maps is an interesting microcosm of how Google deals with its ecosystem. Google is always tinkering with the app seeking to make it easier for users to get from point "A" to point "B" quickly and safely. Over the years, Google added more content such as places to eat or find entertainment when you arrive at "B." Landmarks and directions to them can be seen on the app.
Bug prevents hotels from getting "pinned" in Google Maps
Of course, Google Maps will also show you hotels where you can spend the night (or several nights) when you arrive at your destination. Let's revise that statement. Typically, when you open the Google Maps app you will see red pins showing you the locations of businesses in your area. You can even search for something specific such as McDonald's or Starbucks.
This feature usually includes hotels, but a strange bug is preventing some users from seeing pins for hotels after a search. Redditor DistantMechanised posted about his experience with Google Maps recently as he was searching for hotels on the app. He wrote that when he searched for hotels, "no red pins pop up on the map displaying the location or price."
Restaurants were "pinned" in the search results, just not most hotels
He tried zooming in or out, and even searched for hotels in different areas and the same thing happened. He also noted that when he searched for restaurants, the red pins did show up. It's almost as though this bug doesn't mind if you find a place to eat but is offended that you need a place to stay.
After deleting data from the Google Maps app, and even restarting his device, the red pins for hotels still were missing. This bug has been affecting the Reddit subscriber for a few days. Other Reddit users also complained about the same issue and over at the Google Maps Help forum page, a Google Maps user posted about his experience with this bug. On three different devices (a OnePlus model, a Samsung Galaxy handset, and on a PC) only a couple of pinned hotels showed up in an area where there are many.
The same problem showed up when he tried searching for hotels in other areas. We should point out that the bug has been affecting Google Maps users running the Android or iOS version of the app.
A Google Maps user writes about his problem with the app. | Image by Google
One user says that he started to get the pinned hotels back on Google Maps a few days ago. However, no one else seemed to confirm this. I checked the Google Maps app on my Pixel 6 Pro and on my iPhone 15 Pro Max. The former seemed to show all of the hotels in Kissimmee, Florida and in Manhattan. However, the iOS version of Google Maps showed only a small number of hotels in both areas, which are known for having a huge number of places to stay at.
Google Maps is one of a few apps with over 2 billion Monthly Active Users (MAUs)
With over 2 billion Monthly Active Users, Google Maps is one of the most used apps globally. To put this in perspective, the only other apps to have an MAU above 2 billion are Meta's Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram along with YouTube and TikTok.
Installing Google Maps on your iPhone
Google Maps is the default mapping and navigation app on Android, but not on iOS where Apple Maps is the default app. If you have an iPhone but prefer Google Maps to Apple Maps, you can install the app from the App Store by tapping on this link.
If for some reason you need to install Google Maps on your Android phone, you can do so by clicking on this link and you'll be able to download the app from the Google Play Store.
We will continue to monitor the situation and if there is any more newsworthy info related to this bug, we will update this article.
If you enjoy reading about Google Maps, you'll go gaga over these articles:
- Let Google Maps spend your money
- Google exterminates bug on Google Maps
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