The web version of Google Calendar now comes up with an add-on for Google Maps in its side panel. In the Google Workspace, the side panel apps provide quick access to Calendar, Keep, Tasks, and most recently, Voice.
Now, this new add-on for Google Maps gets added to the Google Calendar on the web. On calendar.google.com, the side panel now shows a new icon for Google Maps underneath the Keep and Tasks icons. By clicking on that icon, a search field, map view, and two tabs for “Recents” and “Saved” get loaded.
The former of these two tabs in the side panel features queries from other devices the user is signed in to, whereas the latter, which is the “Saved” tab, enables the user to browse through the Collections/lists.
If one taps on the top box, there comes three suggested categories: Groceries, Takeout, and Hotel, which allows the user to search these things easily on Maps without departing from the Google Calendar interface. Searching in the add-on is the equivalent to searching in the full app.
Once the user selects a location, she is able to see that in the map, and the bottom half part contains an image carousel and a number of shortcuts: Directions, Save, Send to your phone, and copy link. One can open the full list to see the hours, phone number, reviews, and “People also search for.”
Among the features, the directions feature in the Google Calendar side panel comes with a complete Map experience which shows all possible routes, along with alternative modes of travel. A bigger view can be accessed at any time by opening the current screen in the web version, i.e. on maps.google.com.
The new side panel in the Maps has already appeared on the personal Google Accounts of many users, but it has not been made available for Google Workspace accounts yet. So far Google hasn’t said anything about its release for Google Workspace users.
The Google Maps add-on in the Calendar provides a compact experience that is expected to satisfy most users’ needs. It’s quite fast and time-saving. This side panel is an initiative by Google to enable the users to access other apps on one screen.
