Google re-introduces “search nearby” feature to Google Maps

The incredibly useful “search nearby” tool was one of the casualties of the Google Maps redesign, but today Mountain View re-introduced the feature. For those who didn’t constantly use it to find new Indian restaurants a few blocks from their apartment, “search nearby” lets you pull up businesses and other points of interest based on an address, neighborhood or other location. It’s already re-added on the desktop; simply type in a place and the “search nearby” bar will turn up.

Google has returned the much-missed “Search nearby” feature to Google Maps, restoring the ability to search for nearby points-of-interest and businesses around a location on the map. Quietly added back and announced earlier today – though overshadowed by Google’s Pokemon hunt on Google Maps for April Fools’ Day – the feature is again available from the drop-down search result menu. “Search nearby” disappeared after Google launched the redesigned Google Maps, which officially rolled out to all users in mid-February. Although the new version includes better integration of search results, smarter route navigation, and easier access to galleries and 3D imagery of POIs, it also shuffled around the UI and hid some previously obvious features.