Google Maps has quietly begun treating signed-out users differently. It gives them the directions but hides all the other useful information, including photos, reviews, restaurant menus, etc. The development was shared by several Reddit user (1,2) over the last week (covered by 9To5Google).
Signed-out users are reportedly seeing a pop-up that informs them about “Seeing a limited view of Google Maps,” along with the list of possible reasons, including Maps experiencing issues, unusual traffic from users’ computers or networks, or browser extensions.
Sign in or see a “limited” Maps experience
At the bottom of the pop-up is a message that reads “Signing in to Google Maps might help you avoid seeing this limited experience again.”
Per the report, signed-out users aren’t seeing nearby locations, user photos, addresses, hours, phone numbers, popular times of visit, or restaurant menus, among other details. Now, I can think of two reasons why Google is using the limited Maps view to compel users to sign in.
First, “unusual traffic” has historically been used to refer to systems detecting bots or suspicious activity. However, in this case, even everyday users are seeing the warning. Further, a growing number of people are using ad-blocking extensions or privacy tools while surfing the internet, hiding their personal data from advertisers.
In addition, Google doesn’t have all the data it needs to target such users with ads, as it can’t link and store their browsing history to an account (which is key information, such as the user’s name, email ID, age, photo, etc.).
Google hasn’t confirmed anything yet
Whenever I go to a new place, whether for work or vacation, I mostly rely on user reviews and photos on Google Maps to decide where to go. Over the years, the platform has built a vast database of really useful user reviews.
Whether it is a new cafe, restaurant, amusement park, movie theater, public park, local businesses, or other important locations, Google Maps has become an integral part of my life, and I can’t even imagine losing all the user-generated data.
Even though Google hasn’t officially confirmed the change (whether it is a change at all, or just a test), losing all the additional information makes the Maps experience quite less useful. For signed-in users, however, the experience remains intact.