Google maps can now tell you best time to visit crowded places

In a bid to help holiday shoppers, tech giant Google has launched new Google Maps features that includes Area Busyness and Directories. The company said that users can use Area Busyness, a new feature that combines live busyness trends to help them instantly spot when a neighbourhood or part of town is near or at its busiest.

"To keep the coming weeks stress-free, we are launching new Google Maps tools to help you stay safe, maximise your time with loved ones and find that perfect holiday brunch spot," the company said in a blogpost. 

To help users find their way around large buildings fast, the company is also expanding the Directory tab globally on Android and iOS for all airports, malls and transit stations around the world.

"Now, when we have this data available, you can quickly see what types of stores are in a building (like toy stores or jewellery boutiques), airport lounges, car rentals, parking lots and more," the company said.

"And within each category, you can see a list of the relevant businesses, in addition to helpful information about whether it's open, its rating and what floor it's on," it added.