Google Maps breakthrough will include travel update and restaurant wait times information

Using Google Maps to find your way to public transport is one thing, but once you hop on the bus you're largely flying blind when it comes to finding your stop.

Well, a small but useful update to Google Maps is set to change this once and for all.

Soon the feature will give people guidance and interactive real-time notifications for their journey, so they will know when to get off the bus or train.

These updates will not only appear in the Google Maps app, but will be visible on the Android lock screen to ensure people don't miss any vital information.

After searching for transit directions in Google Maps, users will be able to press a "start" button at the bottom the screen that will offer more details about the journey.

The feature will also offer live updates, including reminders to get off your bus or train when you are almost at your stop.

According to TechCrunch, this update will make using Maps for transit directions similar to the experience you would find when walking, cycling or driving.

But more than anything it will be a godsend for those travelling somewhere new or people who tend to doze off while on public transport.

The feature is just one of many small updates to the app, which promise to make life easier.

Another addition coming to Google Maps is the ability to show how long you'll have to wait to get a seat at a restaurant at any particular hour.

By opening the business listing in the app, users will be able to access a "popular times" section, which will show how long customers could be expected to wait in real-time.

Users can also click on any hour on a bar graph to see how long the wait will be for that period. Google says the estimates are based on "anonymised historical data".

The new wait time feature will be supported on nearly a million sit-down restaurant listings across the globe and will challenge a number of third-party apps.