Google Maps is a hugely useful tool that’s used by millions of people around the globe, mostly thanks to its excellent navigation and traffic tools. Recently, though, someone had the bright idea to “hack” Google Maps by creating virtual traffic jams using a wagon full of smartphones.
One of the more useful things Google does with your Location History is aggregate visits. Google Maps for iOS is now gaining a revamped Timeline that better lets you browse your past travels.
Like New Year greetings, the window for apps and services to send 2019 recaps is winding down. Google Maps this week has been emailing a “2019 Timeline update” chock-full of location and travel statistics.
Google Maps is one of the best services for navigating the planet and, for a couple of years now, the web version of Maps has been able to show you the surface of other planets too. Now, Google has quietly updated Maps to throw users into hyperspace when switching between planets.
Google Maps is now adding the ability to search for electric charging station connector types — making the process of topping up your vehicle that bit easier.
Google Maps and Earth are two useful pieces of software for getting around or learning more about our planet, and this week, Google is offering up some details on just what percentage of the planet these two services have mapped.
Especially with conflicting gestures on Android 10, navigation drawers in apps increasingly don’t make sense. For its part, Google has been moving first-party services away from side navigation to bottom bars. The latest app to test such a redesign is Google Maps.
Navigating city streets can be a little frightening at night. In an effort to help users stick to safer streets, it looks like Google Maps is preparing a new “lighting” filter for walkers which adjusts navigation to stay on brightly-lit city streets.
One of the neatest improvements to Google Maps in recent years was the inclusion of speed limit data for roads and regions. While it’s really useful in some nations, the data get constantly monitored and updated, which results in rating changes.
Restaurant and place discovery is increasingly a big part of Google Maps. The service is now planning to integrate crowdsourced Local Guide recommendations in the “For you” tab. Meanwhile, on the navigation front, Google Maps for Android has a new 3D layer control.
When traveling abroad, mapping and translation are likely your two most-used apps. Google is now integrating Maps and Translate “closer together” with a new translator feature that pronounces place names and addresses.
In recent years, Google has increasingly monetized Maps through ads and other subtle methods. One of those ways is by allowing location pins to feature a store’s logo, with that branding soon appearing when people get directions.
Google Maps is now rolling out the ability to fully manage your public profile within the mobile application.
Discovery is a big focus for Google Maps as evident by the Explore and For you tabs. The Android app is now testing a carousel of search shortcuts right underneath the main lookup field.
After testing the feature with some users in beta, Google has today announced that incognito mode for Maps will start rolling out to Android and iOS users in the next few weeks.
One of the signature features of the Google Pixel 4 is its “Smooth Display” which automatically swaps between 60Hz and 90Hz refresh rates, depending on certain scenarios, which are beginning to be defined. Thanks to AOSP code, we now know that four specific apps have been blacklisted by the Pixel 4 to not allow the 90Hz refresh rate.
Back in March, Google widely rolled out speed trap and accident reports in Maps for Android. The service today is adding more types of incident reporting while bringing the popular feature to iOS.
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As part of World Sight Day, Google Maps is improving walking directions for people with visual impairments. The Google service can now offer more detailed voice guidance and new types of verbal announcements.
Android Auto just went through a huge redesign and, following that, an update to Google Maps on the platform rolled out as well. Now, we’re seeing a slight tweak to the Google Maps interface on Android Auto hit some users with a logo in place and more.
Android Auto is one of the best ways to interact with your multimedia and navigation details while driving. However, some of its apps often end up behind in terms of features. One example of that is Google Maps, which picked up handy reporting features over six months ago that still haven’t come to Android Auto.
Announced back at Google I/O, some users are now getting early access to an incognito mode for Google Maps on Android that hides your data when you don’t want it stored.
Google has released a dedicated website to help millions of Americans gain support with identifying and overcoming addictions. The ‘Recover Together’ micro-site provides Google Maps-based search and in-depth resources for support meetings, pharmacies, and more.
For the past year, Google Assistant has had a variety of voices to personalize your experience, and while most Google Assistant related apps have respected this setting, there have been a few holdouts. One of those, Google Maps, is now testing using your chosen Google Assistant voice when navigating, including in Android Auto.
Dark mode is Android 10’s most popular feature, and on Google’s official site for the platform, we’re getting a first look at some big dark mode makeovers. Here’s a peek at the Gmail for Android dark mode update, and the same new paint job for Google Assistant and Google Maps.
