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You can now add videos to Google Maps as part of a recent update. The new feature has been in the works for a little while, and Google’s goal here was to make it possible for local guides to continue sharing the best parts of where they explore by letting them add videos to Maps so that when people look for places with the service, they’ll be able to see things in action of the location they may be interested in visiting in addition to being able to look through photos, which will give people looking to explore a much better perspective of what they’re looking at. Maybe they want to see how busy it gets with the hustle and bustle of people moving around, or maybe they just want to watch a bartender serve up an expertly crafted cocktail. Whatever the case, that’s all now very possible with this new video sharing option.
This is already available to local guides, so if you’re a local guide, you’ll be able to take any videos you have of places you’ve visited, like temples, restaurants, theaters, and more, and share them with Maps just as you would with any pictures you took of the establishments or landmarks you’ve been to.
Sharing videos is extremely easy and works just like it does for sharing images. Once inside Maps, you can search for a place you’ve been, and there will be a button to share a photo, and from there you just need to select a video from your photos gallery and that’s that, the upload will begin shortly after, and you’ll be able to add any captions that you wish. Alternatively, you can also record new videos to add from right within Maps if you’re already inside the app and haven’t shot a video yet. This time, instead of tapping the folder to find a video, tap the camera button, and then hold on the shutter button to begin recording. You can share videos to Maps as well straight from the Photos app, so you don’t already have to be in Maps for this feature to work. It is worth mentioning that only the first 30 seconds of recorded videos will be shared to Maps, for obvious reasons, as this isn’t meant to provide people with a new outlet for watching videos, rather just short clips of places so they can check things out in action. Also worth mentioning is that this new feature is only available on Maps for Android at the moment.