Google Updates Maps for Android and iOS with Improvements to Offline Maps, Navigation, and More
by Brandon Chester on May 6, 2014 3:47 PM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Android
- Mobile
- iOS
- Tablets
- Google Maps
Today Google updated its maps application for Android and iOS. Google seems confident enough in the updates that it decided to call this major release version 8.0 on Android and 3.0 on iOS.
The first of the improvements impacts information displayed when using turn-by-turn navigation. The application will now display information about the distance from your desired destination, the estimated arrival time based on your speed, and a menu with quick access to alternate routes should one be unavailable. It also will display lane guidance information in supported countries to keep users from missing exits or turns on roads.
The second major improvement is to the offline maps feature that Google launched with Maps 7.0. With the new update the user can now manage a custom list of offline maps for use when a data connection is unreliable or during travel. The user will be able to save cities and other locations right from the info sheet in the maps application and assign specific names so they can be easily found and managed.
Other improvements to the application include “Depart at” times which account for the walking distance to a public transit stop, new filters for price, location, and rating when searching for restaurants, and an in-app button to launch the Uber application for private transport if it is installed on your device. A full list of changes is available on the Google Maps Blog as well as Google Play and the App Store for platform specific changes.
The update is available now for Android users on Google Play and iOS users on the App Store.
Source: Google Maps Blog
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
30 Comments
View All Comments
MossySF - Wednesday, May 14, 2014 - link
I reinstalled the Maps 6.x for this reason. Search for MapsD (NimaGL2 edition) on XDA. Works even if your phone came factory-installed with Maps 7.x+.mkozakewich - Saturday, May 24, 2014 - link
I just tried it, and apparently when you zoom to an area that's too large it'll display an error after you come to a complete stop. That means you'll have to keep pinching and waiting and pinching and waiting until the error goes away.Bluh.
AliceJRounds - Wednesday, May 7, 2014 - link
The area to cache is super small, in the old version it used to be around 80x80 km2, now it's more like 5*5 km2. Also if the area is too big there'll be a weird error that just says 'failed' with no explanation. The box to drag used to change in color when the area became too big for caching. Now it's just guesswork. http://num.to/9456-4784-7940chrnochime - Thursday, May 8, 2014 - link
And that's why you pay up for GPS app or put up with what's given to you for free. If you find $50 for something that you rely on often is too much then that's your problem.Alexvrb - Thursday, May 8, 2014 - link
Well, I've got HERE Drive+ for free (thanks Nokia!), and it is better than most dedicated GPS units. Plus since it supports complete offline mapping, it works just like one, too. I've got the entire US downloaded in my maps for offline use - just updated it to the latest available map over WiFi last week.That's one annoyance with dedicated GPS units - you have to connect it to your PC via USB, and use their proprietary crapware to download maps. Oh and even if you have Lifetime Maps, some vendors seem to update so rarely that they're always a year behind. Drive+ is also faster/more responsive and easier to work with than any of the cheaper dedicated GPS units.
smitty123 - Wednesday, May 7, 2014 - link
the feature that i'm looking for in a gps is not "depart at" but rather "arrive at" and then tells you what time you need to depart by to arrive on time. kind of a no-brainer but for some reason they don't think about it.rigel84 - Tuesday, May 13, 2014 - link
For some reason that only works if you select public transportation.GreenThumb - Tuesday, May 13, 2014 - link
Does anyone know if "My Places" / My Maps is back now?mkozakewich - Saturday, May 24, 2014 - link
I just tried it, and here's the entirety of Google Maps:Basic map view
Slide-out pane with a couple layers
Search box with a button for navigation
A button that links to 'you'
That 'You' button looks like some kind of social hub, with places you've reviewed and a prompt to review more places. It's got your home and work addresses, saved places, and recently-accessed places. At the bottom they've added a list of offline maps with either an option to save one or (if you have already) a link to a page where you can rename/update/delete saved maps or save a new one.
Aaaand, it's telling me my maps expire in 30 days, apparently. I wonder if they'll be deleted or if it'll just notify me that I should update them.
kMapsMedia - Tuesday, June 3, 2014 - link
Free offline maps with search, covering the entire world, and fits easily on most IOS devices. http://kmaps.co