When you’re on the move, there’s often no sense finding local businesses that are closed. That’s the impetus behind a new feature that Google has added to the iPhone and Android-powered devices: a tool to filter results that are open now.

After doing a search, the new “Show only businesses open now” filter shows up above the search results. After clicking to use the filter, the corresponding search results also include the hours that each business is open. (They also include a disclaimer warning searchers that the information might not be accurate.)

It’s a useful tool, but somewhat limited by Google’s ability to get exact hours of local businesses — which means businesses that have taken the time to claim their Google Places listing and include what times they’re open get a little benefit over those that haven’t.

Related Topics: Google: Mobile

About The Author: Matt McGee is Search Engine Land's Executive News Editor, responsible for overseeing our daily news coverage. His news career includes time spent in TV, radio, and print journalism. His web career continues to include a small number of SEO and social media consulting clients, as well as regular speaking engagements at marketing events around the U.S. He blogs at Small Business Search Marketing and can be found on Twitter at @MattMcGee and/or on Google Plus. See more articles by Matt McGee

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