Google Maps search bug blocks broad queries in browser version

The publication reported a growing number of user complaints describing the same pattern. Searches for something specific, such as the name of a building, continued to work, while nonspecific queries failed. One affected user shared a screenshot of the message they received, which read, when translated, "Google Maps can't find restaurants. Check that your search is spelled correctly. Try adding a city, state, or zip code." The message also suggested using Google Search instead.

According to the reports, the problem is confined to the browser version of Google Maps. Affected users said the mobile app had no issues. Some commenters said desktop searches worked when they used incognito mode, while others said that did not restore the feature for them. The glitch also appeared across a range of browsers, not only Chrome.

Android Authority said it could not recreate the error and had contacted Google for comment, adding that it would update its report if new information became available. Google had not issued a public statement as of the report's publication.

The service is widely used to locate shops, restaurants, museums and other nearby places, a function that depends on broad category searches rather than exact names. In its report, Android Authority asked readers to say whether they had encountered the same problem.