If you're part of the Google Maps Local Guides program, you've probably received an email in the past day telling you that editing and adding places is now available worldwide. But if you're a real Local Guides participant, then you must have noticed this several weeks ago.

See, when Maps tells you that you can add a missing place, fill out more information for an existing place, and edit wrong details, that used to come with an asterisk that only those of us unlucky enough to live in some countries knew: these options were only accessible in about 87 countries and territories. I couldn't access them in Lebanon, which means that I wasn't able to add any of the hundreds of new restaurants that have popped up or correct any wrong details about existing businesses. It also meant that I couldn't get any points from doing this.

But a couple of weeks ago, I noticed that the options were all available for me. It's likely that they were rolling out in stages and now they're officially available to anyone in 246 countries and territories total (that's 159 new ones) on Android, desktop, and iOS. Simply open the Maps application and you should see an Add a missing business option in the sidemenu as well as new options to Add a missing place when you drop a pin, or Suggest an edit and Add missing information when you tap on an existing business.

Just remember that saying about great power and responsibility. Add and edit all you want, but make sure the details you're using are accurate. You'll get an email confirmation each time one of your edits goes live.