Google is bringing some Translate features into Google Maps
Google is bringing Google Maps and Google Translate a little closer together by adding part of Translate to Google Maps. You can tap on a button within Google Maps to have the name of your destination and the address read out in the local language. It will be available to users over the next month in over 50 languages.
Google Maps’ Incognito mode finally goes live for Android users
Six months after discussing the privacy feature at its Google I/O conference, the company is finally rolling out Incognito mode for Google Maps on Android. It can be turned on in a few taps, but keep in mind that when it’s on, you’ll lose access to things like Offline Maps and Your Places.
Google Maps now lets iPhone-owning drivers help their fellow road users
It has been available for Google Maps on Android for some time but now drivers with an iPhone can also report crashes, speed traps, and traffic slowdowns when they're on the road. And from this week, users on both platforms can also report construction, lane closures, disabled vehicles, and objects in the road.
Google Maps expands voice guidance for blind and partially sighted users
Google Maps has introduced a new feature for blind or partially sighted people. Maps will now offer more detailed voice guidance and verbal announcements to make navigating with limited vision easier and safer, such as warning users when they are approaching large intersections.
The best Google Easter eggs
Google has a tendency to play pranks come April, but the tech giant is known for more than a few holiday-centric gags. The search engine is lined with an assortment of tools, inside jokes, and the like, many of which are accessible with a simple query. Here are a few you should know.
Psst! Google Maps’ privacy-focused Incognito Mode is nearly here
Desperate to cover your tracks in Google Maps? Keen to keep some of your trips secret? Well, Google Maps' Incognito Mode is currently being tested with select users, so it shouldn’t be too long before you can start using it. Enabling the feature prevents Maps’ location data from being saved to your Google account.
Google Maps adds tools to help people recover from drug, alcohol addiction
Google Maps, as part of National Recovery Month, added two new features that will support people on the path to recovery from drug or alcohol addiction. The first tool marks more than 83,000 recovery support meetings, while the second tool reveals nearby establishments where Naloxone may be obtained.
Gmail for Android finally gets a dark theme. Assistant and Maps likely to follow
With the release of Android 10 to the public, Google rolled out a systemwide dark theme, but a few apps were missing from the list of those that support the dark theme. Now, however, there's one more app to be added to that list -- Gmail now finally has support for dark theme.
You can now combine transit with ridesharing and biking in Google Maps
Google has announced a new feature for Google Maps that will allow users to combine transit directions with ridesharing and biking. The new Mixed Modes feature is rolling out to customers in 30 countries in the next few weeks, and more countries will be added in the near future.
How to navigate with the AR mode in Google Maps to find your way
Got turned around? Not sure which direction to head? Google Maps now has an augmented reality (AR) mode that lets you use your phone's camera to find which way to go. It was initially exclusive to Google's Pixel phones first, but it's now available on other Android phones -- even iPhones.
Google’s fun AR walking directions are ready for your Android phone and iPhone
The augmented reality walking directions feature in Google Maps is about to be made available on more devices. Google has announced its Live View AR walking mode will come to Android phones that support ARCore, and iPhone models that support ARKit this week. Here's what you need to know, and which phones support it.
Google Maps has just become a whole lot more useful for bikesharing fans
Google Maps now offers a lot more bikesharing information for riders in 24 cities globally. Starting this week, you can see the location of nearby bikesharing stations, as well as data on bike availability. The feature also lets you check ahead to confirm which nearby stations have an available space for parking.
Google Maps can now determine how crowded your bus or train will be
Your Google Maps app will now be able to predict how crowded your bus or train will be thanks to a recent update, Google announced Thursday. The crowdedness prediction is based off of ratings by other users and will now appear when you look up transit directions in Google Maps
A Google Maps detour trapped 100 drivers on a muddy one-lane road
You can't always trust your map app: faulty Google Maps directions led some Aurora, Colo. area drivers to a strange and muddy detour on Sunday. The app seemed to be trying to route them around a crash, but instead ended up causing a separate traffic jam.
Google Maps insists it’s doing what it can to weed out business scammers
Google Maps has a problem with bogus businesses populating its listings, with some unsuspecting users falling victim to scams. The company says it's doing everything it can to sort it out, while insisting that the fake entries comprise only a tiny percentage of the total number of businesses held on its database.
Google Maps may soon alert you if your taxi driver goes off-route
Google want to make taking a taxi a little safer. The company is adding a feature to Google Maps that will alert you if your taxi driver goes off-route by more than 500 meters. The feature is currently only available in India, but will hopefully roll out to other locations in the near future.
Google Maps will now warn you about disasters and tell you how fast you’re going
Google Maps expanded its SOS alerts to include notifications and visualized information regarding disasters, including hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods. For some users, the app has also added a speedometer, which complements the recently added speed cameras and speed limits feature.
Love eating out? Google Maps offers a new way to find a menu’s popular dishes
Finding the most popular dishes at a restaurant has never been easier thanks to a new Google Maps feature that uses A.I. to find the best nosh. It needs customer participation though, so carry on snapping — and uploading — all those food photos you take whenever you hit a new place.
Google Maps’ Waze-like speed-camera feature rolls into 40 more countries
Following a limited launch earlier this year, Google Maps has expanded a feature that shows drivers the location of speed cameras, as well as information on speed limits. Speed cameras are shown at their precise location on the road, with the app playing an audio warning as the driver approaches.
Hey Google, let’s order out: Food delivery comes to Search, Maps, and Assistant
It's easier than ever to get your favorite grub delivered to your door or order it for pickup as Google integrates online food ordering into Google Search and Google Maps. You can even ask Google Assistant to order your favorite dish without having to pick up your phone or touch your computer.
Google’s new Trips site aims to help with all of your travel planning
Google seeks to ease your travel planning with Trips, a new online site that lets you explore destinations, research airline flights, check out hotels and view current package deals. This is the beginning of Google's plans tighter integration between Google Search, Google Maps. and Trips for the future.
Google Maps will let you enter Incognito Mode, and it won’t store your data
Google announced a series of improved privacy features, allowing users to manage how long Google stores their data, and even added an Incognito Mode to Google Maps. When that particular feature is active, location information won't be stored to your Google account.
Google Maps adds a new tab showing restaurants’ most popular dishes
Google Maps is testing a new Popular tab to make it easier to order a tasty-looking restaurant dish that you've spotted on the app. Photos of meals on Google Maps don’t always show the dish name, but the new feature aims to change that by pulling together information from multiple entries.
Google Maps now shows EV owners which charging stations are occupied
Google just beefed up its Maps app with extra data to help EV owners find the nearest charging station. Drivers can also find out the number and types of ports available, and whether they're occupied, and get information about the business where the charging station is located. You can even leave a review!
Google Maps’ incident reporting adds slowdown option for traffic jams
Google Maps is expanding its report button to include slowdowns for when traffic is at a crawl or has ground to a halt. Incident reports landed on Google Maps at the start of this year and allows drivers to share other traffic information such as accidents and speed traps.
Google Maps adds Lime bike and scooter feature to more cities globally
Google Maps recently added a feature that helps you find Lime bikes and scooters more easily. Following a limited launch, the company has rolled it out to more than 80 cities globally. The feature also offers information such as how long it’ll take to walk to the two-wheeler, ride cost, and journey time.
Google Earth spills the beans, reveals Taiwan’s secret military bases
The latest Google Earth 3D Maps update has accidentally exposed the locations of Taiwan's most secret military bases to the public. The locations available in full three-dimensional detail include a facility which houses Patriot missiles and its National Security Bureau.
Google Maps AR mode previewed, now in testing with small group of users
Google Maps AR mode is expected to launch to the public soon, as it has been rolled out to a small group of users for testing. The Wall Street Journal previewed the augmented reality feature, which provides directions to the user's entered destination in the form of on-screen arrows.
Google Maps will now help drivers stay within speed limits, avoid speed traps
Google Maps will now start showing speed limits and speed camera locations, so that drivers will not be flagged for speeding tickets. The new features arrive to the app years after they were introduced in Waze, which Google acquired in 2013 for about $1 billion, with no need to update Google Maps.
Popular Android navigation apps are just Google Maps with ads, researcher says
A malware researcher found that 19 free Android navigation apps on the Google Play Store were nothing more than Google Maps, but with ads. One of the apps asked for a payment to remove the ads, while some were security risks as they asked for access to services that navigation apps do not need.
Google’s new Street View backpack offers better imagery in a lighter package
Higher-quality imagery is coming to Street View thanks to a new design for Google's Trekker backpack. The kit, which enables Street View to capture imagery from more places, now has better-quality camera sensors and is lighter than before. Google rebuilt the kit after listening to feedback from users.
Google Maps makes it easier than ever to find a Lime bike or scooter
Google Maps has added a new feature that helps you find a Lime bike or scooter in just a few taps. It also lets you know the estimated cost of your trip and the approximate time of arrival. The feature currently works in 11 U.S. cities served by Lime, with more coming next year.
Google Maps makes reviews more useful with hashtag support
In its latest grab from the world of social media, Google Maps now supports hashtags in reviews for businesses. Initially for Android only, the hashtags can be added to reviews both new and old. Google Maps also recently made it possible for users to follow their favorite businesses, and message them, too.
You can now message businesses straight through Google Maps
Google has been updating Maps with a ton of new features over the past few months, and now it's back with another one -- the ability for users to message businesses directly through the Maps app. Businesses can accept messages and reply to customers through the My Business app.
Google Maps tests feature that will help drivers avoid crashes, speed traps
Google Maps is testing a new feature in navigation mode that allows drivers to report crash and speed trap information to help the app plan the most efficient route for others in the area, or warn them of approaching hazards. Waze, which Google owns, already offers such a feature.
Google Maps will now tell you about special offers from your favorite places
Google Maps for Android now lets you follow your favorite store, restaurant, or other business so you can hear about offers, events, or updates that it thinks you might like to know about. It'll also start highlighting the locations of new businesses so you can keep tabs on your changing neighborhood.
Google Maps brings its real-time journey-tracking feature to iPhone
It's been available on Android since last year, and now Google Maps has brought its real-time journey-tracking feature to iOS. The useful feature, which lets you choose who to share a journey with, can be enabled in just a few taps, and tracking ends automatically when you arrive at your destination.
Google Maps adds new features to help make your commute less dreadful
Regardless of how close you live to your office, commuting is never fun -- there's always either an unexpected delay or traffic jam. That's why Google Maps is attempting to make it easier -- from live updates for public transportation to built-in music controls, the update brings along a few useful tools.