Google Maps just got a huge trip-planning upgrade — and it involves your screenshots

Spring might have only just officially started, but it is time to start thinking about summer — and planning any trips you might want to take.

Thankfully Google has just announced a bunch of new features to aid that planning, including a handy new feature that links Google Maps in with your screenshots.

I can speak from experience when I saw trip-planning is a time consuming endeavor — especially if you’re going somewhere brand new. Part of that will involve screenshots, featuring news articles, travel blogs, social media, or things you’ve uncovered on your own.

For that reason, Google Maps is making sure they don’t all get lost in your camera roll — or the Pixel Screenshots app.

Aided by Gemini, turning on the new “screenshot” list in Google Maps will allow the app to identify locations from your screenshots automatically. These names will all be collected, letting you save the places you need without any significant effort on your part.

Locations in that list will then show up on your map, making them easy to find. You’ll also have the option of sharing that list with your travel companions.

Honestly? That sounds like a great idea. Screenshots are a quick and easy way to keep tabs on ideas and potential places to visit — but only if you can keep on top of them. By having Google Maps do a bunch of the hard work for you, it means you're less likely to lose track of them.

Screenshots support comes to Google Maps in the U.S. on iOS later this week, and is “coming soon” to Android.

More summer travel help from Google

There’s more to Google’s summer travel updates than a single Google Maps feature — as useful as it might be.

The first is a feature that should be familiar to anyone that’s used Google Flights to keep track of when airline tickets are at their lowest. A similar price drop alert system is coming to Google Hotels, with the option to track prices for chosen dates and destinations.

All you need to do is click the price-tracking toggle below the search filters, and Google will email you if prices for the listed hotels reduce by any significant amount. That feature’s launching globally this week on desktop and mobile devices.

Google also seems keen to emphasize the fact that Gemini can act as your own personal travel agent. The AI can give you tips and ideas on where to visit, as well as things like hunting down cheap flights and accommodation.

Part of this involves using Gemini’s Gems feature to set up your own personal trip planner Gem, which lets you use the AI as a travel guide. The best part? Google recently made Gems available to all users, even the ones without paid Gemini subscriptions.

On top of that, Google thinks AI Overviews in Search can help plan out your day-to-day itineraries — assuming you haven’t already had Gemini do this already. Plus there’s Lens, which can help you learn more about your surroundings and translate text — which is absolutely invaluable.

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