The new "Busy area" label that Google Maps has introduced allows it to determine how busy an area is for its users. Google announced the existence of this brand-new 'Area Busyness' feature in a blog post on November 16, 2021. In a blog post, Google explains that Area Busyness combines live busyness trends, to instantly spot when a neighborhood or part of town is approaching or at its busiest, whether you're traveling to your hometown or exploring a new city.
According to the Google Support page, when a user opens the app, Google Maps highlights when a location is getting close to being at its busiest. Now, by tapping on the "Busy Area" label, the app will display a chart showing how busy the area is at various times of day, as well as a directory of eateries, retail establishments, and leisure facilities (like a museum) within it. Finding exact information about busyness may require one to zoom in on a specific area.
The Google Support page reveals,
It is important for users to understand that "Area busyness" never discloses a person's precise location. Google uses a cutting-edge method known as differential privacy to make sure that all data is kept private, secure, and anonymous. Additionally, Google shows the level of activity for a broad, predefined "area of interest." These areas never display exactly where a crowd is within them. Additionally, it excludes residential locations like a house or an apartment when calculating busyness data.
