Google has officially announced that its “Follow” feature within Google Maps will be removed in September of this year. This move, which some users anticipated after an APK teardown last year hinted at the change, means you will no longer be able to follow other contributors or have followers on your profile.
The tech giant has updated its support page to confirm the deprecation. Come September, all data related to who you follow and who follows you will be completely deleted. Google states that no action is required from users, as the change will happen automatically.
While the follow feature is going away, your profile visibility settings will remain unchanged. This means you can still control who sees your contributions to Google Maps. Without followers, there will be no need to approve or reject follow requests on restricted profiles.
The “Follow” feature allowed users to keep up with the contributions of their favorite Local Guides and other Maps users, seeing their reviews, photos, and updates in a feed. However, it appears the feature did not gain significant traction among the entire user base. A post on Reddit discussing the removal has picked up some mixed reactions.
Some users express relief, citing concerns about bot accounts and the feature’s perceived lack of real value. Many mention having hundreds or even thousands of followers they believe to be spam or bot accounts. Other users, though fewer, lament the loss, noting they enjoyed following friends or specific contributors to discover new places.
For those who used the feature to connect with other contributors, Google suggests continuing to use Local Guides Connect. Users who create and share lists in Google Maps can also still explore and find new places through that functionality. That said, feel free to share your thoughts on the removal of the feature in the comments section below.
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Dwayne Cubbins
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For nearly a decade, I've been deciphering the complexities of the tech world, with a particular passion for helping users navigate the ever-changing tech landscape. From crafting in-depth guides that unlock your phone's hidden potential to uncovering and explaining the latest bugs and glitches, I make sure you get the most out of your devices. And yes, you might occasionally find me ranting about some truly frustrating tech mishaps.
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