Google on Tuesday unveiled an updated version of its Google Maps Android app that adds check-in functionality to Google Latitude.
Latitude lets you share your location with friends, and keep tabs on their whereabouts. With check-ins, users can now provide more detailed information about where they are. Instead of saying you are at 28th and Park in Manhattan, for example, you can specify that you are actually at the PCMag offices.
"Now, check-ins let [friends] see the cool restaurant I'm trying in Taipei or join me for a latte at the cafe nearby," Joe LaPenna, a Google software engineer, wrote in a blog post.
Latitude check-ins include a few customizable features: notifications will provide reminders to check in at a certain location; automatic check-ins will automatically update your whereabouts when you go to a certain place; and the check-out feature will log out when you depart.
Google has also integrated Latitude into Place pages, the standalone sites for points of interest that provide basic info, links, and reviews.
"For example, check in at that new hamburger joint, and you'll see its Place page with reviews to help you order," LaPenna wrote. "When friends check in at a place, you can go straight from their Latitude profile to its Place page to learn about it, fire up Google Maps Navigation (Beta) for turn-by-turn directions to them, and more."
Like Foursquare and its "mayor" rewards, Google will offer the chance to become a Regular, VIP, or Guru of a certain location.
For those concerned about privacy, Google insisted checking in is 100 percent opt-in, and users can choose whether or not to share certain check-ins with friends.
"Coming later this week, you'll also be able to see your complete history of check-ins using the optional History tab at google.com/latitude from your computer," LaPenna wrote.
To access, download the latest version of Google Maps for Android. Those using the iPhone app will be able to see check-ins from friends on Android devices, and Google promised to add the check-in functionality to the iPhone soon.