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Google Maps has another new feature to help during coronavirus lockdown

Published Apr 6th, 2020 11:16AM EDT
Google Maps Restaurants
Image: TANNEN MAURY/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

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  • Google Maps now highlights nearby restaurants that deliver food or offer takeout on the map.
  • The feature should make it even easier to find local places that are still open for business during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
  • Google Maps also lets users order food directly from inside the app as long as restaurants support the feature.
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Practicing social distancing is something you should have been doing for several weeks now, to help your community “flatten the curve.” Staying away from others is the best weapon against the spread of the novel coronavirus. That means you have keep trips out of your house to a minimum and only reserve them for essential shopping runs and your pets. But even if you’re staying indoors most of the time, Google Maps is an app that can still come in handy right now. The app will tell you whether the businesses and stores around you are still open and advise you on schedule changes. Google Maps will also display COVID-19 warnings that tell you to call your doctor or hospital before going to the emergency room. The app lets you order food from restaurants that are still open for delivery at this time as well, and Google just updated the app to highlight all the places around you that offer deliveries or takeout.

Google Maps had a built-in delivery feature before the coronavirus outbreak, and you can take advantage of it right away. The app will let you place orders with restaurants that support the service, which makes food ordering wonderfully easy. To make the feature even better, Engadget reports Google now highlights restaurants that offer delivery and takeout options.

You won’t be able to order food from inside Google Maps at all the places that are highlighted on the map, but it’s a step in the right direction. As long as the restaurant delivers, it doesn’t matter who brings the food to your door. If you’re worried about the safety of the food, we’ll remind you that it’s perfectly safe to order takeout during the pandemic, and that food consumption is safe — here are a bunch of answers to your food-related coronavirus questions.

Ordering food from restaurants isn’t just a welcome change of pace from the monotony that can set in during the lockdown. It also supports local businesses fighting to stay afloat during this crisis. The looming economic impact is the next thing to beat after the novel coronavirus, and something as simple as ordering online could make an enormous difference right away.

The new Google Maps feature is available on both Android and iPhone, and it’s live in Canada, France, and the US. More markets will probably support the feature in the not too distant future.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.