Ever gotten lost while using Google Maps? With Google Street View, you can now ensure the route you’re taking is suitable for your vehicle.
Besides preventing cars from entering small roads that are only suitable for motorbikes, you can also ensure the route you’re taking is suitable. For example, use inter-provincial highways instead of village roads.
Furthermore, there are other updates that make it easier for electric car users and make it easier to find tourist destinations. Check out the Google Maps updates for early 2024 below!
Know Your Route with Immersive View
Planning a long trip on a new road? Now with Google Immersive View, you can check the route you’ll be taking in advance.
With Google Street View, you can follow the directions you’ll be taking, making it seem as if you were actually on the road.
Press the arrows to move along the route you’ll be taking. This way, you can check the turns you’ll take, and whether the route you’ll be taking actually matches the turn-by-turn directions.
Use the time slider to plan your departure time based on simulated traffic and weather conditions. This way, you can easily avoid driving during rainy or heavy traffic.
Besides reducing the chance of getting lost, you also don’t need to worry if the road you’re taking turns only being passable by motorbike. Unfortunately, this feature isn’t available in all areas in Indonesia yet!
Easily Understand Your Surroundings with Lens in Maps
Google Maps also makes it easy to understand your surroundings once you arrive, such as when you exit a station and need to orient yourself. It can also be used when you’re exploring a new neighborhood and need to find the nearest coffee shop.
Lens in Maps (formerly called Search with Live View) uses AI and augmented reality to help you orient yourself quickly – whether you’re exploring a new city or discovering a hidden gem.
Simply tap the Lens icon in the search bar and raise your phone to find information about nearby ATMs, transit stations, restaurants, coffee shops, and shops.
Navigate with Confidence with More Detailed Maps
Google Maps now provides more information about road conditions, such as upcoming congestion due to traffic density.
In addition to traffic information, color updates on the navigation map also include buildings to more accurately reflect the real world.
And on highways, where hidden turns requiring the most difficult driving maneuvers are common, Google Maps now also covers these.
For example, if you encounter a frustrating exit that requires you to quickly cross multiple lanes on a toll road, you’ll see better lane details to help you prepare.
Not only navigation on highways, but navigation inside public buildings like malls has also received updates.
You can now check which floor a Starbucks outlet is on using Google Maps. When viewing a building map, a number button will appear for each floor.
Find Electric Car Charging Stations with EV Information
For electric vehicle drivers, check the availability of electric vehicle charging stations (SPKLU) within your reach.
Whether you’re on a road trip, commuting to work, or crossing town, there’s nothing worse than not knowing where you can charge while on the road.
Even with Android Auto installed in your car, you can also find out the remaining battery capacity and range. This way, you can locate a charging station before you run out of power.
Not only does Google show charging station locations, but it also displays other detailed information, such as whether the charger is compatible with your vehicle and whether the available chargers are fast, medium, or slow.
And since approximately 25% of all chargers in the US experience outages at any given time, you can also see when your charger was last used. No more wasting time searching for a charger that’s not broken.
Electric vehicle charging information will also be available to developers through the Google Maps Platform Places API, allowing companies to display real-time electric vehicle charging station information on their websites and apps.
Find Activity Inspiration in New Ways
When you arrive at a new place, you might be unsure of what interesting spots to visit. Now you can easily find locations on Google Maps to discover interesting destinations within that location.
Now, when youIf you search Maps for specific things like the best place to find “animal latte art” or “pumpkin patch with my dog,” you’ll get the first photo result of what you’re looking for.
With this visual list of places, you can discover new places that match what you’re looking for. Simply scroll through the search results, tap a photo to learn more, and navigate there.
This new way to search in Maps is rolling out in France, Germany, Japan, the UK, and the US this week, and we’ll expand to more countries over time.
When you’re stuck for something to do, like when you have a sudden weekend off, you’ll quickly see more organized search results.
So, if you’re in Tokyo, you can search “things to do in Tokyo” to see themed suggestions like “anime,” “cherry blossoms,” or “art exhibitions.” Tap a place that interests you to learn more, and even save your selections to a list if you want to check them out later. A Google Maps video on a mobile phone shows someone searching for “Things to do in Tokyo.” Among the results they receive are activity suggestions grouped into three categories: Anime, Cherry Blossoms, and Art Exhibitions.
Google Maps is transforming the way people explore and navigate, and AI continues to play a vital role in bringing innovative experiences to people around the world.
References
- New Maps updates: Immersive View for routes and other AI features – https://blog.google/products/maps/google-maps-october-2023-update/