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Google Maps to Drop Follow Feature and Purge Data by September

In-navigation media controls have been fully restored following a server-side fix.

Google Maps will soon remove the follow feature and will end the option to follow or be followed by users.
Google Maps will strip down part of its social features

Overview

  • Google will automatically disable its follow feature by September, ending the ability for users to follow others or be followed without any action required.
  • All data related to followers and followings will be permanently erased once the feature is removed.
  • Core discovery tools—including profile visibility, list-sharing functions and the Local Guides Connect community—will remain unaffected.
  • A server-side bug over the weekend caused in-navigation media playback controls to vanish, prompting user concern about a permanent loss of the feature.
  • By Thursday, Google applied a fix that restored music and media controls across devices running recent versions of the Maps app without requiring an update.