Google Maps. Log in or we will limit your functions

Some Google Maps users have started reporting a problem. It turns out that they lost access to some of the service’s functions. All because they are not logged into their Google account.

We associate Google Maps primarily with navigation. They allow us to easily get from point A to point B. They may not be the best at it, but let’s say they are good enough and, above all, free (not counting the Internet package used).

However, these are only part of their functions. Many people also use Google Maps to look for interesting places – tasty restaurants, museums or other locations worth visiting, e.g. on vacation. The problem is that now they have to log in to take full advantage of it.

User reports indicate that when using Google Maps without logging in to an account (e.g. in incognito mode in the browser) or with extensions that block certain scripts, we lose access to some functions. It’s mainly about photos and opinions about the locations we are interested in, including restaurants, hotels and various types of attractions. Interestingly, the problems also appear on Android and iOS.

In this case, Google displays a message explaining that “limited view” may be due to technical issues, unusual network traffic, browser extensions, or a lack of sign-in, suggesting logging in as a way to restore full functionality.

Google has not recently announced any policy change, so it is not known whether this is a permanent change, a real bug, or maybe just tests to check how it will work in practice.