Google Maps New Feature

 Release of Google Maps new Feature to Users  

 Google Maps has become an all-in-one mapping platform that offers much more than navigation. If you want offline maps, satellite maps and overall cleaner UI, Google Maps is the right choice. One of the essential features in modern navigation apps is the speedometer, which allows users to check their speed in real-time by looking at the screen. Although, car's speedometer is installed on the dashboard is for the same purpose but here's one thing which most people ignore. The speedometer in navigation apps is more accurate than the car's speedometer, mainly because it shows the value calculated using GPS data.

People have been comparing Google Maps and Waze since forever, and while it's obvious they come with different features but a similar goal, choosing the right app doesn't always come down to the feature line up. If you just want to get from where you are to where you want to be without caring about traffic reports, offline modes and other extras, you're mainly interested in an app that just works. But the question here is why a GPS-powered speedometer is more accurate, one thing that you must always remember is that your car's speedometer could indicate inaccurate values once you install smaller or larger tires.

As the world's number one mobile navigation app on the planet, Google Maps has been lagging behind its rivals from this perspective. The application also shows a speedometer, but it's only available in very limited regions and only for a handful of users. Moreover, the speedometer sometimes comes and goes in Google Maps, suggesting the search giant is experimenting with making this feature broadly available worldwide. Some people prefer to use their car's speedometer, and that's fine. However, others rely on navigation apps because they already look at the screen when following a suggested route, so they shoot two birds with one stone: they can see how fast they're going and where to go next to follow the route.

It now looks like Google has started what could be the long overdue release of a speedometer for more users, including those running Google Maps on iPhone and CarPlay. The speedometer has been available mainly on Android, Google's own platform. Several users have informed that the speedometer was activated on their iPhones despite the feature never being available on their devices. One user said that the speedometer also appeared on CarPlay. Since it's not confirmed that the rollout has started and Google have also not confirmed this but still more people online claiming that the application now shows fast they go on their iPhones. Google has yet to release a public announcement on the availability of a speedometer on more devices. If you notice this feature on your iPhone or CarPlay, you are the lucky one. 

With real-time speed information available only to a small number of users (not even the entire Android user base has this feature), Google's capabilities on this front are limited to the speed limit for the road you drive on. This means Google Maps won't show your current speed and whether you go over the limit but only display the limit for every section of the road. The information is very accurate, with updates happening in real-time when you enter a new road with a different limit (such as when entering or leaving a highway). 

Google Maps and Waze are the world's most popular navigation apps, and they are often considered each other's alternative. Users who want to give up on Google Maps typically end up installing Waze, while users who are disappointed with Waze adopt Google Maps. Choosing between Google Maps and Waze might seem like a daunting task, but they have distinct features that make the process easier. However, Waze is the better option if you're specifically interested in speed information behind the wheel. The application shows the current speed (like Google Maps, it calculates the speed based on GPS information) and the limit. It issues audio and visual warnings when you exceed the limit, so you're alerted when you can get a ticket. Waze is still focused on traffic navigation, allowing users to send traffic reports and generate warnings for everybody else. Waze requires an Internet connection, doesn't have offline maps or an offline mode.

While navigation apps can show how fast you drive and the speed limit for the road, you should always (but ALWAYS) pay attention to road signs. Drivers are fully responsible for what they do behind the wheel and blaming navigation for breaking the limit doesn't work. Needless to say, if you don't want navigation apps to show the current speed or the speed limit and rely exclusively on the car's speedometer and road signs, you can always disable the feature on your device. In Google Maps for iPhone, you can find the speed limit toggle under Profile picture > Settings > Navigation. The "Show speed limits" option must be disabled to hide the speed limits when you enable navigation in Google Maps.

Nobody wants their navigation app to stop working in the middle of the drive, leaving them without guidance to follow the suggested route. Unfortunately, a flawless navigation experience is something many of us still dream about. Both Google Maps and Waze glitch in the most awful moments, even when running on Android. The most concerning part of the story happens on Android Auto, where the experience with Google Maps and Waze is terrible. The apps often malfunction, and the culprit is often impossible to determine. However, many of these issues are caused by GPS connection problems or the device itself. 

If you use Waze, you can find all options under Settings > Map display > Speedometer. This application comes with more options, including options to show and hide the speed limit (and use only the speedometer), set a speeding threshold, and enable and disable alerts when you break the limit. The same options are available on iPhone and Android, and when you run Waze on Android Auto and CarPlay, your settings roam to the larger display in the car. Google Maps and Waze users often jump from one app to another, looking to avoid bugs and sometimes struggling with other issues. 

One of the most important parts of a software application is how it looks. Every app needs a straightforward and clean UI that makes it easier to use. Nobody likes cluttered interfaces, and most certainly, nobody likes to be forced to learn using an app. All these points are twice as important for navigation apps. The interface must be clean and easily readable, as the driver shouldn't need more than a glance at the screen to get the information they are interested in. With the latest redesign, which included new colours and updated colours in the daytime and night modes, Google Maps is overall easier to use. It allows you to easily see the map, the route, and the next turn, and the UI makes even more sense on a larger screen, such as on Android Auto and CarPlay. New and modern design languages propose cleaner and more modern visual styles. Waze keeps spamming users with non-critical information, such as other users' moods.

The most obvious thing anyone can observe is that navigation feels more straightforward and convenient in Google Maps. Waze throws more data at the user, and this is its top selling point, the navigation experience should be substantially simplified. When navigation is enabled, users are mainly interested in which way they need to go, and while reports help make the road more predictable and safer, they could also increase distraction if drivers keep looking at the screen. This is why audio alerts should always be enabled, though it's not a secret that infotainment software like Android Auto and CarPlay makes people take their eyes off the road more frequently, even for less than a second. Due to the traffic reports, it makes Waze special and significantly contribute to a safer driving experience, the overall navigation experience feels more intrusive. 

Google Maps doesn't have a speedometer for all users. Google has quietly started enabling the speedometer for more users, but it's still unclear why the feature is not broadly available. We have two Google products, one offering and one lacking an essential feature, so nobody can tell why the search giant doesn't enable it for everybody running Google Maps. Google Maps typically gets updates faster, including on iPhone. The application received five updates in May and four new releases in June.