Airbnb adds personalized map and new social discovery tools
Airbnb's fall update introduces social features and AI tools, letting users see friends' travel history and explore neighborhoods through interactive maps.
Airbnb has announced a broad set of new features arriving as part of its fall update, making the platform both more social and more reliant on artificial intelligence.
Social features
One of the main additions lets users see where people they know have stayed during past trips. Each user will be able to set their own privacy preferences, choosing whether and how much detail to share about a given trip. Connected users will be able to view each other's past and upcoming trips through a new Travel Map, which shows rentals as well as booked services and experiences. Users will also be able to read reviews left by their connections, add their favorites to their own wishlists, and message connections directly within the app.
Interactive maps and AI tools
The new maps will also offer neighborhood summaries, providing an overview of an area based on information supplied by guests and hosts. Airbnb's announcement noted that these summaries would also draw on "other sources," though the company did not specify what that additional information would include.
The platform is also rolling out new AI-powered tools for search, filters, listing descriptions, listing comparisons, and customer support. These features will launch first in the US, with no specific timeline announced.
Additional services
Airbnb is continuing to expand its Services section, first introduced this past spring. European users will soon gain access to meal and grocery delivery options. In select US cities, users will be able to order quick-turnaround laundry service through Rinse or rent baby gear via BabyQuip directly to their temporary lodging. The company is also partnering to offer location-specific activity bookings, such as boat rentals in South Florida or ski and snowboard gear rentals in the French Alps.
