New Google Maps features

All New Google Maps Updates Coming to Android and iPhone

Google Maps is either a revolutionary product you must use daily or a cluttered application filled with features you don't need. However, Google Maps remains the king of navigation applications and mapping services. It's the number one mobile navigation solution, dominating the Android and iPhone ecosystems, as well as the experience in the car with Android Auto and CarPlay versions.

Google keeps improving Google Maps with innovative features on all fronts, so the application evolves regarding the navigation experience while offering improved ways to explore the world. The latest announcements are living proof Google Maps remains the leading navigation choice, now expanding in the AI space with innovative capabilities.

Some time back, Google rolled out a visual overhaul of Google Maps, using colours that somehow bring the app closer to Apple Maps. The updated interface wasn't received well, with many users complaining that distinguishing certain elements, such as lakes and forests, has become more difficult to identify.

Google says the updated colours will soon reach general availability, explaining that the facelift includes additional details, such as realistic buildings while navigating. Driving on highways also includes improved lane details, so you'll have more time to enter the right lane for the next exit.

Google Maps is also getting support for HOV lanes in the US. The application will display HOV lane availability when searching for routes, so you can choose your route based on this new criterion. HOV lanes typically require two or more occupants in a vehicle, and while you can't tell Google Maps how many people are in your car, you can instruct the application to look for routes that include such lanes.

Google is also expanding the speed limit integration in Google Maps with more advanced support for artificial intelligence. The AI-powered speed limits available in Europe provide users with critical information in Google Maps, even in those places where the traffic signage isn't visible. Google's AI systems use advanced capabilities for every section of the road, such as scanning the Street View imagery specifically to extract speed limit information.

The company says it has trained its AI models to look for various patterns and traffic sign models, so eventually, Google Maps can provide information that isn't even easy to spot on the side of the road. However, you must remember that paying attention to and complying with road signage is mandatory.

As one of the most innovative features ever released by Google, Immersive View allows users to explore the world in a multidimensional simulation which uses an incredible amount of data, including satellite imagery and Street View data. Additionally, it includes expected traffic conditions and weather information to create a more realistic simulation.

Immersive View for routes in Google Maps allows users to preview their routes before starting driving. Thanks to the multidimensional simulation, the feature offers a new way to preview the route so the driver can get familiar with every turn before beginning the journey. Immersive View for routes needs more time to reach the general availability phase, so it'll debut only for users in certain regions, such as New York, Tokyo, Seattle and London.