Google Maps on desktop now offers real-time notifications when it is time to leave for your appointments.
Google is good at connecting dots. The dots Google connects are all of the snippets of information about your life that build up across Google products. The big G can take info including your daily schedule from Google calendar, appointments from Gmail, and whatever else it can get its hands on. Google also likes to use environmental information like weather and traffic and connect that up with your private data so it can give you better recommendations and notifications.
Last week, we saw an update to Google Assistant, which puts all these connected dots together in a more visual manner. Now we’re seeing an update to Google Maps on desktop that allows Maps to update you on where you’re supposed to be and how you’re supposed to get there. Google maps will now send you notifications to tell you when you need to leave to make your appointments.
The new update to Google Maps allows it to check your location against events in your calendar. If the events have a location included then maps will look at traffic information, calculate how long it will take you to arrive and then send you a notification when it is time to leave. This notification will also include a link to directions. The notification will then remain active until you disable it.
To activate the new Time to leave notifications for Google Maps on desktop you need to click on the settings icon in the top left-hand side of the Google Maps page. From there go to Notifications and toggle Time to leave to On. You may also have to make some changes to your Web & App Activity and Location History settings to use the new feature. If you do, Google will take you to them once you turn on Time to leave.