Google Shows How Busy Restaurants Are In Real Time

The latest Google Maps update just made snagging a table for dinner way easier

Happy hour fiends, last-minute planners and socially anxious diners can breathe a little easier: Google's updated Maps app now shows how busy dining spots are in real time. Previously, the app could provide only a warning of how crowded a place typically is at any moment, but this refresh uses live location data to show how many people are hogging tables at your favorite pizza joint at that moment.

Just tap on a business in Google Maps, and the live status will appear under the contact information. It'll even offer how long people tend to hang out at a given hot spot, making snagging a seat at a hard-to-get restaurant easier than ever.

This article was originally published on 11/22/16 and was updated with additional information by Andrew Bui on 2/2/17.