Photo: autoevolution
A few weeks ago, Google announced a massive Google Maps update with several new features, including a new default routing model that tries to determine the most fuel-efficient directions to a specific destination.
And now the search giant is back with another update for Google Maps, this time in an attempt to improve the way you plan a road trip.
First and foremost, the whole thing is supposed to make the road trip planning process more convenient by bringing desktop computers and phones closer together. Obviously, setting up a long road trip isn’t necessarily easy on a mobile device given the limited screen estate, so Google has added new options for Google Maps on the desktop to add different types of places to stop.
In other words, you head over to Google Maps on the web on your desktop computer, set up your starting point and the final destination, and then the service lets you add stops like hotels, parks, campgrounds, and rest stops.
That way, you can configure your route down to every little detail and, of course, also receive additional information on your stops, such as rates for hotels and everything else.
And given you’re not supposed to take your desktop computer with you in the car, Google lets users send the journey, along with all directions, stops, and other information to a mobile device using a text message, an email, or the Google Maps app on iPhone and Android. That way, you can then use your phone to start navigating based on your route with just a few taps.
The whole thing also works on Android Auto and CarPlay, as you can start navigating on your mobile device and then launch Google Maps on the head unit to continue the route based on the settings you made on the phone.
First and foremost, the whole thing is supposed to make the road trip planning process more convenient by bringing desktop computers and phones closer together. Obviously, setting up a long road trip isn’t necessarily easy on a mobile device given the limited screen estate, so Google has added new options for Google Maps on the desktop to add different types of places to stop.
In other words, you head over to Google Maps on the web on your desktop computer, set up your starting point and the final destination, and then the service lets you add stops like hotels, parks, campgrounds, and rest stops.
That way, you can configure your route down to every little detail and, of course, also receive additional information on your stops, such as rates for hotels and everything else.
And given you’re not supposed to take your desktop computer with you in the car, Google lets users send the journey, along with all directions, stops, and other information to a mobile device using a text message, an email, or the Google Maps app on iPhone and Android. That way, you can then use your phone to start navigating based on your route with just a few taps.
The whole thing also works on Android Auto and CarPlay, as you can start navigating on your mobile device and then launch Google Maps on the head unit to continue the route based on the settings you made on the phone.
Google News