Google Maps is over! The tech giant complies with EU orders to remove navigation services from search results
Google Maps is over! The tech giant complies with EU orders to remove navigation services from search results
For years, Google Maps has been a go-to tool for millions worldwide, seamlessly integrated into search results for instant access to directions, locations, and more. But ... Continue Reading →
For years, Google Maps has been a go-to tool for millions worldwide, seamlessly integrated into search results for instant access to directions, locations, and more. But if you’ve noticed something missing recently, you’re not imagining things. Due to European Union regulations, Google has been forced to remove its Maps functionality from its search results, marking a significant shift in how we interact with the tech giant’s ecosystem.
Talk about hyperbole...
Google Maps is over!
No, the integration in the search results when searching the web might be gone, but you can still go to https://maps.google.com/ and find what you need.
This is not a significant shift with how we are interacting with Google, it is a minor change.
Calm down.
how is it over? you just type in maps.google.com like you used to type in mapquest.con
For users, this tight integration was incredibly convenient.
In Firefox, I have had any search starting with "gm" set up to do a Google Maps search. So "gm Omaha" will go to Omaha.
That is, I create a bookmark that's aimed at:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=%25sand then in the Bookmark Manager, set the keyword to "gm".
Kagi -- which uses bang prefixes to do searches on external sites -- appears to have done the same thing on the service side with "!gm". So "!gm Omaha". (They normally have their own, OpenStreetMap-based map thing, but if you want to do Google Maps, that'll do it.)
EDIT: For some reason, the Lemmy Web UI seems determined to convert "%s" to "%25s" in the URL above, and I can't seem to find an escape sequence that avoids that. It's intended to just be "%s".
Didn't even notice. Well done EU.
Is this a big deal? I realize I have a skewed view because I dropped Google search ages ago, but... when I need maps results I go to a maps app, I never really relied on the search bar for that, even when I did use Google search.
It is also a pain in the arse for a normal user. When I search for a local plumber, instead of typing my query into the address bar, I need to go to maps.google.com first, and search there. These days, half of my searches are for businesses (the other half for spelling or correct usage of a difficult word), and all those searches now need to be made directly on the map page.
I wonder whether alternative solutions were discussed: like Google retaining integration but breaking off Maps division into it's own entity that has to use same API's as everyone else and use the same integration points. Would've been more user-friendly thing to do.
It's been that way for months already. Maybe four or six I'd say.
Organic Maps works swimmingly, even with sandboxed Android Auto on GrapheneOS. need to install GooglePlay ver.
Cries in American 2025. 🤔🙃😭
I was worried that this would be like those cookies pop-ups, but the functionality is still present here in the land of the free...