Monday, September 2, 2019

New layer in the Google Maps Android app lets you know where Street View works

Google Maps update - Google Maps app on an Android phone

Google didn't make an announcement of a new Google Maps feature, but a tipster speaking with 9to5Google spotted one: a new Street View layer available in the Android app.

This new feature will be incredibly helpful if you are traveling in a new location and want to use Street View to navigate around. By turning on the Street View layer, you can see which parts of a given location have Street View images available.

To give it a shot, ensure you are on the latest version of Google Maps (v10.23.4). Open up a map and hit the layers button — the circle with a diamond in it toward the top right corner — and then select the new Street View layer.

Now, your map should show blue lines on at least some of the page. Those blue lines indicate where Street View images are available, and the lack of a blue line lets you know that you'll need to work with another layer for that particular area.

If you decide you don't like this feature, you can turn it off by simply tapping that Street View button again in the layers menu.

This feature appears to be a server-side update, so most Android devices should see it now. It does not appear to be available yet for iOS devices, though.

You can check out the latest version of the app via the button below.


Previous Google Maps updates

Cycling and ridesharing directions now mix with your trip

August 27, 2019: Google announced that you can now mix cycling and ridesharing directions within your Google Maps trip. This new feature, unfortunately, is hitting iOS first with Android support launching "in the following weeks."

Expansion of Live View feature to many more devices

August 8, 2019: Google has announced that it's expanding testing for the Live View feature. Starting this week, it'll bring the beta feature to Android devices supporting Google's ARCore and iOS devices via Apple's ARKit frameworks. 

Live View, which was initially tested on Pixel phones, allows users to see augmented-reality overlays in Google Maps while navigating on-foot. Simply hold up your phone and the app will place arrows and other instructions in your camera viewfinder, giving you a better idea of where to go.

Live speedometer hits the app

June 5, 2019: Google has implemented a speedometer feature in Google Maps, although it isn't enabled by default. The feature is accessible via Settings > Navigation settings > Speedometer

Still not seeing the feature? Well, it's rolling out worldwide in a phased manner, so you might want to hold out a little longer. 

Learn a restaurant's most popular dish

May 30, 2019: Google Maps is launching a new tool to find a restaurant's most popular dish. Maps will now use machine learning to determine from those photos and reviews which dishes are the most popular at that restaurant, making it easier for diners to find the "best of the best" at that establishment.

Additionally, Maps will translate reviews written in a foreign language, an essential tool for the traveling diner. Can't read the menu? The new features within Google Lens will help you out there, too.

Pixel phones now have AR navigation

May 7, 2019: Google Maps AR navigation allows you to navigate on-foot by holding your phone up and using the rear camera, with arrows and other information overlaid into the viewfinder. This way, you don't have to worry if the blue dot (representing you) is heading in the right direction when using Maps the traditional way.

Editor's Pick

The feature is currently only live for Pixel users using walking navigation in San Francisco, Paris, and London. It will likely come to additional major cities across the globe in due time.

Maps shows if a nearby EV charging station is occupied

April 23, 2019: Google has announced that you can use Google Maps to check real-time availability of charging station ports in the U.S. and U.K. In other words, you don't have to physically go to a station to see if there are any free ports. 

"Simply search for 'ev charging stations' to see up to date information from networks like Chargemaster, EVgo, SemaConnect and soon, Chargepoint," Google wrote in a blog post announcing the feature.

Lime scooter and bike rental info in 80 cities

March 4, 2019: Google Maps will now show Lime scooter and bike rental information. Notifications will conveniently tell you if a Lime vehicle is available, how long it'll take to walk to the vehicle, an estimate of how much your ride could cost, along with your total journey time and ETA.

You can see a full list of all the Lime Google Maps cities here.


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