Have you ever started writing a review on Google Maps but didn’t have time to finish it? Or maybe you wanted to think more before posting? Currently, Google Maps doesn’t allow saving drafts for reviews. But what if it did?
Why a Review Draft Feature Would Be Useful
Better Quality Reviews – Users could take their time to write thoughtful, detailed reviews. No More Losing Reviews – Sometimes, we start a review but get interrupted. A draft feature would prevent losing unfinished thoughts. Improved User Experience – It gives more flexibility and encourages users to contribute more frequently.
How It Could Work
Auto-Save Function – Just like in Gmail, reviews could be automatically saved as drafts. Draft Section in Contributions – Users could access and edit their unfinished reviews anytime. Reminder Notification – Google Maps could notify users about unfinished drafts after a few days.
Would You Like This Feature?
Do you think a “Review Draft” feature would improve Google Maps? Would it encourage you to leave more detailed reviews? Let’s discuss in the comments!
There actually was a “Draft Review” but it was scrapped I remember in 2024, it was pretty good but it was scrapped, the way it worked seemed to be exactly what you’re talking about.
I remember there was an option to save draft of the review @NgocVu3822 you said it right. @Samuel_9343 although the feature has been scrapped I would like to see that feature again as it was very helpful.
It could introduce some unintended drawbacks. Encouraging overthinking could make reviews less spontaneous and authentic. Fresh impressions are often the most valuable, but if users keep refining drafts, reviews might feel overly polished or even lose their original intent.
A draft section might also become cluttered with abandoned reviews. Many people start writing things but never finish, leading to a poor user experience rather than encouraging more contributions.
Instead of a full draft feature, a simple “restore previous text” option, like in web forms, might be a better solution. It would allow users to recover lost reviews without creating unnecessary clutter.
Thanks for your thoughtful feedback! You make a great point about the risk of overthinking and losing the authenticity of fresh impressions. I completely agree that spontaneous reviews are often the most valuable.
However, many users abandon writing a review not because they overthink but because they get interrupted or need more time to organize their thoughts. A draft feature wouldn’t necessarily encourage excessive polishing—it could simply help users return to their unfinished thoughts when they’re ready.
As for clutter, a system that auto-deletes drafts after a set period (e.g., 7 days) could prevent unnecessary accumulation. Your idea of a “restore previous text” option is also a great middle ground, and I think combining both approaches could strike a good balance between flexibility and simplicity.
Would love to hear more thoughts on how this could be implemented effectively!
Yes definitely it would be nice, especially when writing through the phone, where it would be easier to accidentally erase what we’re writing. Like what others have said, it was available in the past not anymore. Not sure what’s the reason, but make sure to send feedback to Google
Yeah, that’s a good point! It’s super frustrating when you accidentally lose what you were writing, especially on mobile. Didn’t know it used to be a thing before kinda weird that they removed it. I’ll definitely send feedback to Google and see if they bring it back. Thanks for the insight
I too vote for a ‘Draft’ feature which was present earlier, dear fellow LG @Samuel_9343
Of course, any feature will have some other effects also…
Thank you for this post,
Regards
Better Quality Reviews – Users could take their time to write thoughtful, detailed reviews.
Auto-Save Function – Just like in Gmail, reviews could be automatically saved as drafts.