Now that Google’s food sharing app, Tablescape has been put aside, it appears that a similar feature is being rolled out to Google Maps, rather than delivering the service as a standalone application. In an age where social media is filled with snaps of tasty dishes, Google is looking to use these photos to promote food establishments.
Tablescape was an experimental app which allowed its users to share photos of food, in an environment designed for this exact purpose. It was shut down earlier this year, not long after its debut, however it now appears a similar feature is to be directly integrated into Google Maps. According to Android Police, the new addition will notify users when they take a photo at a restaurant, and give them the opportunity to attach the image to the establishment’s Google Maps page. It is unclear when this option will be open to the public, as the current rollout has been targeted to avid users of their Local Guides program.
Local Guides is expansion on the Google Local service, which promotes users with rewards for writing high quality reviews. After posting a certain amount of reviews, you can be upgraded to the next benefit level, with higher quality rewards. Level 3, which is the minimum level you must be to use this feature, requires the user to have written over 50 reviews prior.
In an email distributed to Google’s Local Guides, it is emphasized that this is a fast, and painless process. After the notification is displayed, in two taps, the photo can be shared to Google Maps, for the general public to see. With this being such a small addition to the Google Maps service, it is key that photos can be uploaded with little effort.
Source: Google via Android Police | Google Maps Phone image via Shutterstock