**Google Maps Will Remember The Name Of That Fantastic Coffee Shop You Can’t Recall**
We’ve all experienced it: We stumbled upon an incredible store, restaurant, or coffee shop by chance, and we forgot its name. After enjoying it, we wish to return or recommend it to someone, but it’s challenging without remembering the name. You can always check the area using a navigation app like Google Maps and utilize Street View to navigate. But what if Google Maps already stored the name of the place you visited? A recent find in the code of Google Maps for Android suggests that Google is developing a new feature called “Your recent places.”
As reported by Android Authority, the new “Your recent places” section can be found in the “You” tab of Google Maps version 25.34.00.796159725. Specifically, the new menu is positioned above the “Your lists” section. As is often the case with discoveries in Android app code, there’s no certainty on when Google will unveil this functionality, but the code indicates that the company is actively pursuing its development.
Interestingly, Apple introduced a comparable feature for Apple Maps when it revealed iOS 26 at WWDC 2026. It’s named “Visited Places,” and if activated, this feature will allow Apple Maps to automatically memorize points of interest. Similar to the newly uncovered Google Maps feature, Apple Maps will recognize restaurants, parks, and other locations so you won’t have to recall the name.
**How to find Your recent places in Google Maps**
The “You” tab in Google Maps serves as the menu where you can locate the places of interest you may have saved. The “Your lists” section assists you in managing favorite lists, “Saved trips,” and lists from friends. Images produced by Android Authority indicate that the “Your recent places” menu will appear prominently in the “You” tab, making it easy to find the location whose name you’ve forgotten.
The new menu features filters at the top designed to help you refine your search. The “Area,” “Category,” “Saved,” and “Maps history” menus should expedite finding that spot rather than scrolling through an extensive list of places. “Your recent places” will also display a scrollable list of locations you’ve visited, each featuring a name and a thumbnail image. You can also tap a three-dot menu for additional information, share that location, and remove it from your history.
That said, this feature won’t be available on the Google Maps version you are currently using on Android and iPhone until Google officially releases it. Android Authority managed to access it only by exploring the app’s code.
**What about user privacy?**
It remains uncertain how Google Maps determines the locations you’ve visited. Apple stated in June that “Visited Places” will function automatically. “You can opt to have your iPhone recognize when you’re at a location, like a restaurant or store, and then view your Visited Places in the Maps library,” Apple detailed during the Apple Maps session. This feature also allows you to share Apple Maps locations with friends and remove saved places. The data is secured with end-to-end encryption.
Google Maps may implement a similar auto-detection method to identify visited locations. Regarding Google Maps’ privacy, it’s essential to note that Google Maps history is now stored on-device instead of in the cloud, and it is only accessible to the user. “Your recent places” will likely keep the information of your recently visited locations on your device, but that is mere speculation at this point.
The “Your recent places” feature could also integrate well with personalized AI experiences. For instance, Google recently announced that Gemini Live will integrate with more Google apps and enhance Google Maps integration. A feature like “Your recent places” would be beneficial with Gemini Live in scenarios where you’re using the AI assistant to message a friend about a newly discovered place and can’t remember the name. The AI could retrieve that information from Google Maps. Again, this remains speculation.
Google will clarify how the “recent places” feature functions once it becomes available. Considering that Apple plans to launch Visited Places in Apple Maps in iOS 26, it’s likely that Google will aim to provide a similar experience in its Google Maps product.
