If you hate being turned away from your favorite restaurant when you show up without a reservation, Google is introducing a new feature that shows the busiest (and least busy) times to go.
For the past two years, Google has offered a Popular Times feature that uses historical location-based data garnered from people's phones to determine when particular businesses, such as gyms and museums, are likely to be at their busiest or quietest.
People aren't always able to book ahead at a restaurant, and for travelers who may not have a specific place in mind, being able to see where it will be easiest to get a table, in, say, an hour, can simplify the decision-making process. By scrolling, you can also see how wait times vary on a day-to-day and hour-by-hour basis.
Google's estimates are based on aggregated, anonymized data from mobile users who have Location History activated on their device. The company has also used this data to predict how busy the parking is likely to be at a specific destination.