Looking for a quiet weekend getaway with family, planning a night out with friends, or exploring a new neighbourhood coffee shop - picking the right place to go to can be tough. To help make these decisions easier, we’ve recently expanded the Local Guides program in India on Google Maps. The Local Guides feature gives you the chance to share your discoveries and experiences directly to the map, making it more useful and easier for everyone.
We held our first ever India Local Guides event in Bangalore on April 6th and these Guides join a global community of people that are exploring the world and making Google Maps more useful for everyone while at the same time earning perks.
Every place a Local Guide contributes to on Google Maps earns them points towards unlocking something new—from early access, to new products, to exclusive contests and event invites, to bonus Drive storage, and more. You can earn points and level up by writing reviews, uploading photos, adding new places, fixing outdated information, and answering simple questions. Each contribution type is worth one point, so you can earn up to five points per place.
The more you contribute as a Local Guide, the more benefits you’ll enjoy. Here’s an overview of what you’ll unlock at each level:
- Level 1 (0 - 4 points): Enter exclusive contests (think new Google devices!) in select countries.
- Level 2 (5 - 49 points): Get early access to new Google products and features.
- Level 3 (50 - 199 points): Show up in the Google Maps app with your official Local Guides badge.
- Level 4 (200 - 499 points): Receive a free 1 TB upgrade of your Drive storage, allowing you to keep all the stories, photos, and videos from your travels in one safe place.
- Level 5 (500+ points): The very top Local Guides will become eligible to apply to attend our inaugural summit in 2016, where you’ll be able to meet other top Guides from around the world, explore the Google campus, and get the latest info about Google Maps. Look out for details early next year.
You can sign up here. Once you do, you can download the latest Google Maps for Mobile app on Android or iOS to follow your progress on the “Your Contributions” tab in the left hand panel of the app. Your total points, level, and to-do list—suggestions for places to contribute to—conveniently appear together in one place. And when you share photos, you'll now see view counts, giving you an idea of how many people your image may have helped. To learn more about how to contribute and unlock benefits, visit our website or Help Center.
Posted by Aradhana Biradar, Community Manager - Local Guides