Finding a place that checks all my boxes usually means opening Google Maps, modifying filters, and scrolling through endless listings. This time, I tried something different.
I gave Google Maps a ridiculously specific list of requirements and asked it to find me a place that matched. I expected a messy list of suggestions. Instead, it understood what I wanted and found some surprisingly good options.
I stopped searching for places one filter at a time
I gave Maps all my requirements at once
Instead of starting with a keyword and working my way through filters, I now start with Ask Maps. In the Google Maps app, I tap Ask Maps below the search bar and type what I’m looking for. I can also use the microphone if I don’t feel like typing.
The useful part is that I don’t have to phrase my request like a search query. I can give Maps the whole situation:
Find me a quiet coffee shop within a 15-minute drive, with good Wi-Fi, outdoor seating, parking, and that’s open after 7 p.m.
Ask Maps uses Gemini to work through those requirements and surface relevant places.
And I don’t have to start over if the results aren’t quite right. I can keep the conversation going with follow-up questions, such as “Which one has the best reviews for working?” or “Which is easiest to park at?”
That feels much more convenient than repeatedly changing filters and reopening listings.
I gave Google Maps my ridiculous list of requirements
I put it to the ultimate test
I decided to make things difficult for Ask Maps. Instead of asking for “a good restaurant nearby,” I gave it a request that would normally have me bouncing between filters, reviews, and individual listings.
Here’s the prompt I used:
Find me restaurants that are within 15 minutes, offer Thai food, outdoor seating, good parking, are not crowded, accept walk-ins, have reviews that don’t contain the words ‘terrible service,’ and have dairy-free desserts.
That’s the type of search where I’d normally compromise on at least two requirements. Ask Maps, however, worked through the whole list and returned places that matched several of them.
I could ask follow-up questions instead of starting over
Keep the search going instead of starting fresh
I asked Google Maps: “I need to pick someone up from the airport. What’s the fastest way to get there, when should I leave, and where can I stop for flowers on the way?”
Ask Maps gave me the driving route, told me when I should leave, and marked flower shops along the route on the overview map. I could tap the map, open those places, and save the ones I wanted without starting a separate search for flower shops.
What I enjoyed the most was the ability to maintain the conversation. Instead of starting over, I could ask questions like “Which one has the best reviews?” or “How much extra time would stopping for flowers add?”
That saved me from jumping between searches for the route, departure time, and places to stop. I could work everything out from the same conversation.
I stopped reading dozens of reviews
I let Maps cut through the review noise
A high star rating usually makes a place look like an easy choice, but it does not tell me much about why people liked it. And when a place has hundreds or thousands of reviews, scrolling through them to find something useful can take almost as long as deciding where to go.
So, instead of judging a place from its rating alone, I started asking Ask Maps for more details.
For a restaurant, I could ask “What do reviewers say about the seafood?” or “Do people mention long wait times?”
That also makes it easier to compare two places. A restaurant with a 4.8 rating may seem better than one with a 4.5, but if the lower-rated restaurant has consistently positive comments about the aspects I value, I might choose it instead.
One question I typically ask is: “Compare the reviews of A and B and tell me which better fits what I am looking for.” It is a much faster way to get a feel for a place before I decide whether it’s worth the trip.
I use Google Maps differently now
I didn’t expect Ask Maps to change how I use Google Maps. I still use it for the basics, but I no longer feel like I have to search for the perfect keywords, tweak filters, and read through endless listings to find what I need.
The biggest difference is that I can explain what I’m looking for, ask follow-up questions, and let Maps help me narrow things down. It doesn’t always get everything right, so I still check the results before heading out, but it has made finding places much easier and more intuitive.
