Google Maps Is Getting a New Look and Other Upgrades

guest · Feb 6, 2020

Google Maps Is Getting a New Look and Other Upgrades For Its 15th Birthday
February 6, 2020
https://gizmodo.com/google-maps-is-getting-a-new-look-and-other-upgrades-fo-1841480219

For its 15th birthday, Google Maps is getting a fresh look on iOS and Android, along with more information for public transportation, improvements to Live View, and even a fun limited-time party car icon.

The most noticeable update to Google Maps on mobile devices is its new layout, which has been redesigned to feature five tabs: Explore, Commute, Saved, Contribute, and Updates.
As for public transportation, Google is adding info for buses, subways, and trains to include details about temperature, accessibility, onboard security, and if there any designated women’s sections.

Finally, following its debut last year, Google is improving Live View with new AR overlays, which combine real-world photos with direction arrows that will help point you in the right direction, so you can get where you’re going faster.
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Google: Google Maps is turning 15! Celebrate with a new look and features

guest · Feb 21, 2020

mood said: ↑

Google Maps Is Getting a New Look and Other Upgrades For Its 15th Birthday
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New Google Maps widely available on Android and iOS (February 12, 2020)

Google last week celebrated the 15th birthday of Maps with an icon redesign and by previewing several new features. The first of those to become widely available is an Android and iOS redesign.
9to5Google’s Take
This new Google Maps is evolutionary and fits the company’s latest design direction. Since Android 10, Google has moved to phase out the navigation drawer since it conflicts with gesture navigation. That said, all complexity and sub-features are just being moved to a new menu behind your profile image. This often times adds a fullscreen page, while the hamburger approach preserved context by letting you see the previous background.
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Google Maps testing ‘Go’ tab with public transit, subsumes ‘Commute’
February 20, 2020
https://9to5google.com/2020/02/20/google-maps-go-tab/

Following a new icon and app redesign to coincide with its 15th anniversary, Google Maps is rolling out a new “Go” tab. It groups together the old “Commute” section and other transit-related shortcuts.

Compared to “Commute,” “Go” — with a car and rail icon instead of home and office — has a wider purview than just your trips to work and back. All of that original functionality remains but is now placed in the second (top) tab.
The default view is “Destinations,” which is essentially the dropdown that appears when you tap on the search bar. This includes a carousel of shortcuts for “Home,” “Work,” and other labels, while there’s a list of past lookups underneath sorted by Today, Yesterday, This Week, and Last Week.

The new Google Maps Go tab — not to be confused with Maps Go for lower-powered Android devices — is not widely available, but appearing on several devices around the world after updating to version 10.35.2.
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guest · Mar 9, 2020

Google Maps adds Lens integration when looking at menus
March 8, 2020
https://9to5google.com/2020/03/08/google-maps-lens-menu/

At I/O 2019, Google Lens gained the ability to analyze a physical restaurant menu and flag popular dishes. This Lens menu capability is now integrated right into Google Maps.

Despite digital versions, it’s still quite common for people to take pictures of menus and upload to a restaurant’s Google Maps listing. When viewing such images on Android, there is now a suggestion chip to “Explore dishes” at the bottom. The Lens icon also appears in the top-right corner to initiate a visual search.
Lens will highlight popular dishes in orange with an accompanying star icon.

This integration makes sense in how you’re likely to already have the business listing in Google Maps open when visiting a new place. It saves you from having to launch Google Lens and manually take a picture.
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Rasheed187 · Mar 14, 2020

What I hate about Google Maps, is that satellite pics are often outdated, surely they can do better.

guest · Mar 16, 2020

Google Maps testing faster ‘Live View’ AR that doesn’t require starting navigation
March 14, 2020
https://9to5google.com/2020/03/14/google-maps-faster-live-view/

To mark its 15th anniversary last month, Maps rolled out a new icon and mobile app redesign. Google also previewed a number of upcoming features, with faster Live View access outside of Maps navigation now in testing.
Currently, you access it by following the same steps to initiate walking directions and then hitting “Live View” to open the camera-based UI.

While a familiar process, it’s quite buried and easily missed. Google is now making Live View much more prominent in the app. After selecting or searching for a location, there will be a new Live View FAB just above the existing button to center you on the map.
Making Live View a tap away whenever you’re looking at a map greatly increases the likelihood that people will use augmented reality. It also lets you get oriented without needing to start full navigation.
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guest · Apr 5, 2020

Google Maps now highlights restaurants with delivery options
April 5, 2020
https://www.engadget.com/2020-04-05-google-maps-highlights-restaurant-delivery-options.html

Google Maps is still useful for grabbing a bite to eat even in the midst of widespread COVID-19 lockdowns, it seems. Google has rolled out updates to its Android and iOS apps that highlight restaurants with delivery (and, for some reason, takeout) options -- you just need to tap a button at the main screen to see what's available.

It won't let you order food unless there's direct integration, alas, but it could help you browse neighborhood eateries if you're eager to support a local business during the pandemic.
The feature is available now in at least the US, Canada and France, and likely other parts of the world as well.
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guest · May 12, 2020

Google Maps is rolling out a redesigned real-time location sharing UI
May 12, 2020
https://www.xda-developers.com/google-maps-rolling-out-redesigned-real-time-location-sharing-ui/

Real-time location sharing was introduced back in March 2017, allowing users to share their location with their contacts with just a few taps. People who have received a location share can open Maps on their phones to see the real-time location of the sender. The basic idea behind the function has remained the same, but the UI is now receiving a refresh.

As reported by AndroidPolice, an update to Google Maps coupled with a server-side rollout has brought a new interface to the app’s location-sharing interface.
This new refresh brings along a new floating action button and surfaces more detailed information and makes them visible at a glance.
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guest · May 21, 2020

Google Maps helps healthcare workers find hotels
May 21, 2020
https://www.engadget.com/google-maps-search-frontline-healthcare-worker-hotel-finder-144000833.html

As healthcare professionals continue to battle the coronavirus pandemic across the US and much of the world, Google is adding a new Maps feature to help those individuals find special accommodations when they're done their daily shifts.

Starting today, first responders can use the app to find hotels that have special policies in place to help them by typing in a search term like "hotels for essential workers in New York."
Another option is to use a less specific phrase like "hotels in New York," and then apply the new "COVID-19 responder rooms" filter Google has added to Maps.
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Currently, the new feature is only available in the US and UK, but Google plans to roll it out to other countries in the future.
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Google: Helping COVID-19 responders find hotels

guest · May 22, 2020

Google Maps brings new mode to highlight accessible places from parking lots to restrooms
May 21, 2020
https://www.androidpolice.com/2020/...ssible-places-from-parking-lots-to-restrooms/

People who rely on wheelchairs, rollators, or other mobility aids know how frustrating it is to deal with raised steps and narrow spaces in restaurants in shops. It also can be inconvenient or downright impossible to look up accessibility information for many public areas. So, in light of today being Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Google Maps is officially introducing a new mode highlighting accessible places on the app.

Users will see a new Accessibility settings item in the Maps app's settings. They can toggle on the Accessible places feature from there. Roll-outs are ongoing in Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. More countries will follow.
Maps currently has accessibility data for more than 15 million places.
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Google: Find wheelchair accessible places with Google Maps

guest · Jun 8, 2020

Google Maps will offer new warnings about local Covid-19 restrictions
June 8, 2020
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/08/google-maps-covid-19-alerts-rolling-out-in-us.html

Google on Monday announced that Google Maps will soon provide Covid-19 alerts that you might need to know about while you’re driving or riding on public transit. The new features are rolling out to Google Maps on iPhone and Android in the coming weeks.

If you’re planning to drive to a testing center, whether it’s a medical facility or a local retail partner offering tests, Google will remind you to “verify eligibility and facility guidelines to avoid being turned away or causing additional strain on the local healthcare system,” the company said.
Google said it will also warn you if there’s a Covid-19 checkpoint on your route, starting first with the borders between the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

“You’ll see an alert on the directions screen and after starting navigation if your route is impacted by these restrictions,” Google said.
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Google: Get around safely with these new Google Maps features

In our latest release of Google Maps on Android and iOS, we’re introducing features to help you easily find important information if you need to venture out, whether it’s by car or public transportation.
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guest · Jun 19, 2020

Google Maps tests overlaying AR-esque place markers in Street View
June 18, 2020
https://9to5google.com/2020/06/18/google-street-view-overlay/

In addition to being a fun way to explore the world, Street View helps users get their bearings before visiting a new location. Google Maps is now testing AR-esque place marker overlays that make Street View even more of a wayfinding tool.

Some users today are encountering the same pins that appear in the overhead Google Maps perspective overlaid on Street View. In the first image below, we see several restaurants/cafes with an orange icon that signifies how it’s a place to eat. Across the street, there’s a blue store marker while further back is a generic location indicator.
These place marker overlays make Street View much more powerful and useful for browsing as you don’t have to return to the full map for more details.
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The Google Maps place markers in Street View are not widely rolled out. A reader spotted them on the web in major locations like New York and Boston, but not in smaller cities. We did not encounter it in our testing, or in Google Maps for Android.
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guest · Jun 21, 2020

Upcoming Google Maps features uncovered: UI tweaks, ‘first mile’ transit, more
June 20, 2020
https://9to5google.com/2020/06/20/google-maps-featured-enabled-first-mile-ui-changes-more/

Google seems to always be working on new features for its various services, including Google Maps. Today, Jane Wong posted to Twitter a bunch of new features coming to Maps — here’s a breakdown.

In this series of tweets, several changes coming to Google Maps are detailed. Some are pretty small, but others may have a pretty big impact on usability. Perhaps one that many commuters will find handy — you know, once life goes back to normal — is a “first-mile” option for connecting to public transit.
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Google Maps is working on route options with “Connections to Public Transit”, such as:
– Car + transit
– Bicycle + transit
– Auto rickshaw
– Ride service
– Motorcycle + transit pic.twitter.com/hLlCZJG7Av
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) June 20, 2020
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On the note of Uber, Google Maps is also preparing to give better insights on ride fares through at least Uber. With this, Google Maps would link to a ride-sharing service and share the user’s route, offering immediate and accurate ride fares within Google Maps itself. Presumably, that would also be available for other ride-sharing platforms.
There are also a couple of UI changes Google is preparing to make to Maps.
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guest · Jul 7, 2020

Google Maps is Starting to Show Traffic Lights on Android
July 7, 2020
https://www.droid-life.com/2020/07/07/google-maps-is-starting-to-show-traffic-lights-on-android/

As you will see throughout the images in this post, Google appears to be adding traffic lights to Maps and will show them both while navigating and while browsing around. The little traffic lights icon isn’t that easy to see just yet and Google doesn’t seem to be actively letting users know about lights, but the icons could be a start to more meaningful info.

You can probably imagine how handy it might be to know if your route is filled with either stops signs or traffic lights. If you are pressed for time, avoiding a string of lights could be beneficial.
They are showing to our reader through Google Maps build 10.44.3. I am not seeing them on Google Maps beta 10.45.0.
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guest · Jul 20, 2020

Google Maps integrates bike-share locations with navigation
July 20, 2020
https://www.engadget.com/google-maps-bike-share-biking-directions-150031401.html

Google Maps has offered directions specifically for bikes for years now, and the app also can show you where to find bike-sharing locations. Today, Google is mashing those two options together and showing docked bikeshare info in the directions — if you don’t have your own bike, it’ll route you to the nearest bike-sharing location and include the closest drop-off spot to your final destination as well.

Since Google Maps already has live bike availability for a variety of bike share partners, you won’t blindly be directed to a spot only to find there are no bikes available.
As with so many Google updates, this one is rolling out over the “coming weeks,” so don’t be surprised if it’s not an option immediately.
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Google: Ride easy with new biking features in Google Maps

guest · Jul 31, 2020

You can now follow people on Google Maps, the company's newest social network
July 30, 2020
https://www.androidpolice.com/2020/...ogle-maps-the-companys-newest-social-network/

Google Maps is pretty much the go-to app for navigation these days, but it packs a lot of additional features as well, like offering business info and personalized recommendations. Google experimented with allowing users to follow select Local Guides last year, and now the company is expanding the program to include all users — that's right, Google Maps is now a social network.

Rolling out globally today, users on Google Maps who have shared photos, reviews, or lists publicly will be followable. The updated profiles look a lot like a Twitter or Facebook page, with a follow button and the number of followers the account has.
If you'd prefer to keep your city's hidden gems to yourself, you can always make your profile restricted, which lets you manually approve people who request to follow you.
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guest · Aug 10, 2020

Google Maps now supports CarPlay Dashboard, coming to Apple Watch soon
August 10, 2020
https://www.neowin.net/news/google-maps-now-supports-carplay-dashboard-coming-to-apple-watch-soon

Google has announced a couple of new updates for Maps. Starting today, the navigation app is compatible with Apple's CarPlay Dashboard, with plans to also roll out support for Apple Watch in the near future.

Maps has now added support for CarPlay's split-screen functionality, allowing users to play or pause songs from their media app, for example, while also using with Maps' turn-by-turn navigation at the same time. This multi-tasking capability is designed to let you "get the information you need while keeping your focus on the road".
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Over the coming weeks, Google is also rolling out a new Maps app to Apple Watch. This will enable users to receive driving, biking, and walking directions on their wrist. The navigation app will also provide an estimated time of arrival at the users' known destination such as home, work or any other location they have previously saved.
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Google: New ways to get around with Google Maps on iOS

Google Maps helps you find places to go, things to do and how to get there—no matter what device you’re using. With compatibility for Apple’s CarPlay Dashboard and a new app for the Apple Watch, people using iOS devices can safely and easily navigate with Google Maps right from their car or wrist.
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guest · Aug 19, 2020

Google is making Maps more pedestrian friendly
August 18, 2020
https://venturebeat.com/2020/08/18/google-is-making-maps-more-pedestrian-friendly/

Google has announced plans to add more detailed street-level data to Google Maps, including accurate road sizes and shapes, as well as features that can help people traverse streets more easily on foot.

While Google Maps already shows varying road widths to help users distinguish between alleyways and major thoroughfares, for example, Google will soon display roads more accurately at scale. This will also include showing exactly where sidewalks are, in addition to crosswalks and pedestrian islands, which may prove useful for those with specific accessibility requirements.
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Elsewhere, Google is adding some additional visual enhancements to Google Maps, using what it calls a new “color-mapping algorithmic technique” to make it easier to distinguish between natural features such as beaches, deserts, and ravines.
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Android Police: Google Maps gains more realistic views of natural features worldwide

Plus users in some cities will start seeing the exact locations of crosswalks
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Google: Bring your map to life with enhanced natural features
Google: A more detailed, colorful map

This week, we’re rolling out new visual improvements that bring even more detail and granularity to the map, making it easier to understand what an area looks like whether you’re exploring virtually or planning a visit.

Google Maps has high-definition satellite imagery for over 98 percent of the world’s population. With a new color-mapping algorithmic technique, we’re able to take this imagery and translate it into an even more comprehensive, vibrant map of an area at global scale.
With this update, Google Maps has one of the most comprehensive views of natural features on any major map app—with availability in all 220 countries and territories that Google Maps supports.
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guest · Aug 20, 2020

Google is using satellite imagery and Maps to visualize wildfire size and behavior
August 20, 2020
https://venturebeat.com/2020/08/20/...maps-to-visualize-wildfire-size-and-behavior/

Forest fires are once again wreaking havoc in California and elsewhere.
It’s timely, then, that Google has announced an update to Maps that shows how large a given wildfire is and where it’s headed.

Google relies on data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) GOES satellites, which use infrared (IR) and optical sensors to detect hotspots on the Earth’s surface that could be wildfires. The data is then analyzed by Google’s Earth Engine. The result is a red boundary in Maps that approximates the size of a given wildfire and its location. Google updates the Maps wildfire boundaries approximately every hour.

In addition to the wildfire boundaries, Maps users will see information on traffic and road closures, which is crucial for evacuating citizens and first responders.
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The wildfire boundaries feature is available only in the U.S. for now, but Google hopes to take it global in the future.
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Google: Mapping wildfires with the power of satellite data

guest · Aug 26, 2020

Google Maps’ revamped Saved tab helps you find and remember important places
August 26, 2020
https://www.xda-developers.com/google-maps-saved-tab-find-remember-important-places/

Earlier this year, Google rolled out a big redesign to its Google Maps app in celebration of the service’s 15th birthday. The update featured a new navigation bar, tweaked icon design, improved transit features, and Live View. Building upon that major redesign, Google is now revamping the Saved tab. The new UI changes are all about making it easier to remember saved places.

In fact, one of the UI tweaks moves your recently saved places at the top, so you can easily navigate to that new food spot your friend recommended. Along with that, Google Maps will make it easier to find places nearby that you’ve recently saved.
With Location History turned on, you can see where you’ve visited on your Timeline. This feature will really come in handy when you visit a city you haven’t been to in a while because you’ll be able to see exactly where you went.
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Google: 3 easy ways to maximize the new Saved tab in Google Maps

guest · Aug 31, 2020

mood said: ↑

Google Maps is Starting to Show Traffic Lights on Android July 7, 2020
Click to expand...

Google Maps starts widely displaying traffic lights on Android
It'll come in handy for those who spend more time looking at their screen than at the road
August 31, 2020
https://www.androidpolice.com/2020/...-widely-displaying-traffic-lights-on-android/

Earlier this summer, Google Maps started displaying traffic lights for some users. Although that appeared to be an experimental feature, as none of us at AndroidPolice could get them to show up, they're finally rolling out widely.

Google seems to have rolled out the feature overnight to a wide range of users, if not all, as traffic light icons are now showing up on Google Maps. The functionality doesn't need to be turned on manually and doesn't require you to activate traffic layers as we initially thought.
They appear both when browsing the map or navigating, giving you a handy indication of why traffic might be slowing up in front of you.

Sadly, I've only been able to see them in the US, and couldn't get them to show up in France or Canada.
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guest · Sep 3, 2020

Google Maps now lets you pay for parking with Google Pay, starting in Austin
September 2, 2020
https://www.xda-developers.com/google-maps-pay-for-parking-google-pay/

The next time you use metered parking in a major city, Google doesn’t want you to have to physically pay at the meter. Google Maps is working to let users pay for street parking from inside the app. Drivers in Austin, Texas, in the United States, can test the feature starting today when driving to a location with participating parking nearby.

Back in early 2017, Google started to show parking availability in Maps. Later that year, Google added a “find parking” feature to Maps to allow people to find parking spots near their destination. Now, drivers approaching their destination in Austin, Texas, will have the option to pay for parking in the Google Maps app.
Google said it partnered with Passport (via 9to5Google) to integrate the latter’s payment technology into Google Maps.
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This feature not only makes things more convenient for drivers, but it also reduces the need to physically interact with parking meters and ticketing machines. Right now, the functionality is live in Austin, Texas, though Google likely plans to expand support to other cities in the U.S. in the future.

For more details on how this works, visit Google’s support page.
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xxJackxx · Sep 3, 2020

mood said: ↑

Google Maps starts widely displaying traffic lights on Android
It'll come in handy for those who spend more time looking at their screen than at the road
August 31, 2020
https://www.androidpolice.com/2020/...-widely-displaying-traffic-lights-on-android/
Click to expand...

I can't even begin to imagine how they could do this accurately. Impressive if so, despite the fact that I think it will cause more problems than it will solve.

guest · Sep 3, 2020

Here's how Google Maps uses AI to predict traffic and calculate routes
Historical traffic patterns are used to help determine what traffic will look like at any given time
September 3, 2020
https://www.cnet.com/news/heres-how-google-maps-uses-ai-to-predict-traffic-and-calculate-routes/

On Thursday, Google shared how it uses artificial intelligence for its Maps app to predict what traffic will look like throughout the day and the best routes its users should take. The tech giant said it analyzes historical traffic patterns for roads over time and combines the database of with live traffic conditions to generate predictions.

To improve accuracy, the company recently partnered with DeepMind, an Alphabet AI research lab. They've already seen accurate prediction rates for over 97% of trips, Google said. If it's predicted that traffic will likely become heavy in one direction, the app will automatically find you a lower-traffic alternative.
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Google also recently announced a new Maps app feature that lets you pay for parking within the app. And in May, the company announced its Android users could start sharing their Plus Code location.
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Google: Google Maps 101: How AI helps predict traffic and determine routes

Every day, over 1 billion kilometers are driven with Google Maps in more than 220 countries and territories around the world.
Today, we’ll break down one of our favorite topics: traffic and routing. If you’ve ever wondered just how Google Maps knows when there’s a massive traffic jam or how we determine the best route for a trip, read on.
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guest · Sep 5, 2020

Google Maps prepares to add a new layer for tracking COVID-19 outbreak trends
September 4, 2020
https://www.xda-developers.com/google-maps-covid-19-layer-track-outbreak/

Google is reportedly working on adding a new layer in Google Maps that will provide users with important COVID-19 outbreak information.

Jane Manchun Wong, who is famous for reverse engineering apps to uncover new features before they’re announced, posted images of the new layer on Twitter. The layer appears to show the number of COVID-19 outbreaks in a particular U.S. state and/or country. The data also whether cases are increasing or decreasing in the region.
Based on screenshots of the feature, Google is apparently sourcing its data from Wikipedia, The New York Times, Johns Hopkins University, and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

The new layer is now yet accessible in the latest version of the Google Maps app, which is version 10.5.0. However, when it does go live, we’ll update this article.
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Google Maps’ COVID-19 map shows a number of the region, describing whether it is increasing or decreasing pic.twitter.com/bYJTYoSL3h
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) September 4, 2020
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Google has brought a number of new features to Google Maps following the COVID-19 outbreak earlier this year. The service has displayed messages encouraging users to wear masks, along with highlighting safe hotel rooms for first responders.
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guest · Sep 9, 2020

mood said: ↑

Google Maps now supports CarPlay Dashboard, coming to Apple Watch soon August 10, 2020

Google: New ways to get around with Google Maps on iOS
Click to expand...

Google Maps for Apple Watch is now available on the App Store
September 9, 2020
https://9to5google.com/2020/09/09/apple-watch-google-maps/

Last month, Google announced that Maps is coming back to watchOS after leaving the platform in 2017. Google Maps for Apple Watch is now available following the latest update.

On the Apple Watch, Google Maps is focused on providing step-by-step directions, as well as estimated arrival times. The app’s primary screen shows your “Current trip,” while there’s a list of “Travel times” below. This includes Home, Work, and any other saved shortcuts/destinations.
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Despite the name, live maps are not actually displayed in the wearable app, unlike with Apple Maps. Meanwhile, the Watch app is particularly reliant on having a stable connection to your iPhone.
Google Maps for Apple Watch is rolling out with version 5.52 on the App Store.
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