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Google Maps update adds new iPhone features and toll pricing
The company says these new Google Maps updates should be rolling out in the next couple of weeks.
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Google Maps has been around forever, and now, the company is adding a slew of new features that should have been in the app from the jump. For example, stop signs and traffic lights. The latest update will now display these along your planned route.
To help more users drive on unfamiliar roads, Google Maps is adding enhanced details like road landmarks to its interface. These include building outlines and other areas of interest. The app will also display familiar road structures like medians and islands on the map.
Again, this is something Google should have implemented ages ago. As Rakesh Agrawal, a former Microsoft and Amazon product lead tweeted:
“About f-king time on traffic lights. I’ve never understood this omission- especially when you consider 1/they’ve had the data forever. 2/ the feature has existed in Japan for >decade. 3/ Apple has had it.”
READ MORE: Google Maps Street View now lets you revisit the past on mobile
Another quality of life improvement is a feature that displays toll road prices. Before the update, Google Maps would only tell you if a given route had tolls or not. Toll estimates will be displayed before users begin navigating their trip.
Google says users can expect to see toll road prices in its Android and iOS apps later this month. Toll estimates will cover more than 2,000 roads across the US, India, Japan, and Indonesia, with more countries being added to the list soon.
Lastly, Google has introduced new trip widgets to the iPhone and iPad apps. The new widgets let you access pinned trips directly from your iOS home screen.
READ MORE: Google Maps can now estimate how much you’ll pay in tolls
The widget also displays arrival time and suggested routes too. Additionally, Google says you can make the widget smaller too.
Finally, Google gives the Apple Watch some love with some much-needed support. Apple Watch users can now look up a destination and get step-by-step directions right from their wrist – no phone needed.
READ MORE: How to add a business to Apple Maps
The company says these new Google Maps updates should be rolling out in the next couple of weeks, so keep an eye on your app updates to see these recent changes.
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