In the ongoing Google Maps vs Apple Maps debate, Google's navigation tools have gained the ability to compete with Apple's services Google has partnered with SpotHero, a digital parking reservation company, to integrate the SpotHero service directly into Google Maps

The new feature, discovered by Android Authority, will allow users to reserve parking spaces in Google Maps and Google Search with a new “Book Online” button Technically, the integration with Google Maps is not new, since there was something of a soft launch in April, but the new feature is available to everyone as of yesterday (October 8)

If this sounds familiar to Apple Map fans, that's because Apple's app added something similar to SpotHero in early 2023

To use the SpotHero service in Google Maps, simply open the app and search for parking near your destination If there is a parking space near that location, an “online reservation” button will appear

Tapping the reservation button will take you to the SpotHero website where you can reserve a parking space This process is handled within Google Maps, so there is no need to switch back and forth between the app and the web browser

The SpotHero service allows users to reserve parking spaces in advance SpotHero is also helpful for wheelchair accessibility, as it requires filtering by date and time

SpotHero works well with Google Maps, which was expanded over the summer so that the map app now supports EV charging searches After the event, the map can also be used to remember where you parked

According to SpotHero, the service is available in 300 cities in the US and Canada You will need to check to see if your town or city is served by SpotHero, and smaller towns and cities may be out of luck; SpotHero serves more than 10 million people across North America and offers discounts ranging from 15% to 35%, depending on a variety of factors and deals with “parking partners It claims to receive discounts ranging from 15% to 35%, depending on a variety of factors and deals with “parking partners