Google is celebrating its Maps platform’s 15 birthday and the brand has announced new design to its popular application along with new features.
The company has revealed that the updated Google Maps App is available starting from today for Android and iOS devices. The newly redesigned application focuses on five tabs: Explore, Commute, Saved, Contribute and Updates. The Explore tab will provide information, rating, reviews and more for about 200 million places around the world including local restaurants, city landmarks and more.
The Commute tab will allow users for turn-by-turn navigation and one can select a different mode of transport like cars or public transit. The tab will also provide real-time traffic updates, travel times and suggestions for alternative routes. The Saved tab will allow users to view all the saved location in one place. Contribute tab will allow users to share local knowledge, such as details about roads and addresses, missing places, business reviews and photos.
Lastly, the Updates tab will provide users with a feed of trending spots from local experts and publishers. The company has also updated the look with a new Google Maps icon. Furthermore, as a part of celebrations, the company is providing a party-themed car icon, which is available for a limited time when a user navigates with Google Maps. The brand has also revealed that it will expand Live View and will test new capabilities. The company says that with Live View one can quickly see how far away and in which direction a place is.
The brand has also introduced new transit features in Google Maps. Last year, the company introduced crowdedness predictions to help one see how crowded bus, train or subway is likely to be based on past rides. The brand is expanding on this and it now allows users to check for the temperature of transit in advance.
If someone has special needs or require additional support, one can identify public transit lines with staffed assistance, accessible entrance and seating, accessible stop-button or hi-visible LED. for women’s security, it will show whether the transit systems have designated women’s section or carriages. Furthermore, the app will also show whether there is security monitoring on board.