Google Maps has a handy feature that lets you know how busy a place is. Whether you’re heading to a restaurant, a mall, or any other location, estimating the level of congestion can make a big difference in your experience. You can check how busy the place is in Google Maps on a particular day or right now. I’ve also prepared information about how Google knows this.

How to check activity hours in Google Maps using the mobile app?

To see how busy a place is on Google Maps using the mobile app, follow these steps:

• Open the Google Maps app on your mobile device.
• Find the place you want to check, and type its name or address in the search bar at the top of the screen.
• Once you find the location you want on the map, tap its name or marker to open a page with information about it.
• Scroll down the page to view more information about the location.
• Find the “Popular Times” section, which provides information about the average occupancy of the place at different times of the week.

You can swipe your finger across the graph to see the busyness at different times throughout the day. The graph provides an overview of busyness for the current day.

To check the busyness for other days of the week, tap on the calendar icon below the graph. This allows you to select a specific day and view its corresponding busyness information.

How to check activity hours in Google Maps using the desktop?

To check activity hours in Google Maps using the desktop version, you can follow these steps:

• Open your web browser and go to the Google Maps website.
• In the search bar in the upper left corner of the screen, type the name or address of the place you want to check.

• Click on the desired suggestion or press Enter to search.
• The map will display the location you’re looking for, and a panel with information about the location will appear on the left side of the screen.
• Scroll down the Overview tab to find the Popular Time section. This section contains information about the typical hours of activity for that location.

The “Popular times” graph displays a bar chart with colors indicating the busyness levels during different times of the week.

Similar to the mobile app, you can hover your mouse cursor over the graph to see the busyness at specific times of the day.

What do busyness levels mean on Google Maps?

When you use Google Maps, the busy levels show how busy a place usually is at different times. These levels help you plan your visit and anticipate the number of people there. Here’s a simpler explanation of these levels:

• Not Busy (Green)

Green represents periods when the place is typically less crowded. This indicates that you can expect shorter wait times, more available seating, and a more relaxed environment.

• Moderate (Yellow)

The yellow color indicates moderate busyness. During these times, the place may have a moderate number of visitors or customers. You might experience some waiting time, slightly limited seating availability, or moderate activity in the area.

• Busy (Red)

Red represents high busyness levels, indicating that the place is typically crowded or heavily visited. During busy times, you can expect longer wait times, limited seating, and a higher level of activity or foot traffic.

The busyness information on Google Maps can be helpful in various scenarios. For example, if you plan to visit a restaurant, you can check the busyness levels to choose a less crowded time and potentially reduce your waiting time. Similarly, if you want to go shopping, you can see when a store is usually less busy to have a more comfortable shopping experience.

Keep in mind that busyness levels are estimates and may not always reflect real-time conditions. Factors such as holidays, special events, or unexpected circumstances can influence the actual crowd levels at a particular time.

How does Google know if a place is busy?

Google gathers information from various sources and uses algorithms to determine this.

When people use Google Maps and allow a geolocation service to track their location, Google gets data about how many people visit a certain place and at what time. They also take into account information about how many people mark their stay in a place through Google Maps.

Google also uses data from users who report how busy the place was when they visited. I’ve seen this feature myself, where you can choose whether a place was very busy, moderately busy, or not very crowded.

I have noticed that in addition to these factors, there are other things that can affect the liveliness of a place. For example, holidays or special events can attract more people. Also, the weather and time of year can affect how many people will visit a certain place.

But it is important to remember that this information is not always completely accurate and may not reflect the actual situation. In any case, it can help you plan your trip and choose better times to visit places.