Google Maps Update Brings a New Design and a Party-Themed Car Icon for Drivers

The new Google Maps introduces five different tabs in the main UI, and they’re called Explore, Commute, Saved, Contribute, and Updates.

The Explore tab is specifically supposed to highlight points of interest around you, along with ratings and reviews served by Google. Commute, on the other hand, provides real-time traffic updates, travel times, and suggestions of alternative routes to make commuting, be it by car or public transit, faster and more efficient.

The Saved tab groups previously-saved places, as well as recommendations provided by Google based on the places that you’ve visited in the past. Then, the Contribute tab allows you to post information for local places, including reviews, photos, addresses, and contact information. And last but not least, the Updates tab is essentially a feed with trending information from local experts and publishers.

Google Maps is also getting a new icon on all supported platforms, as well as a party-themed car icon that would only be available for a limited time. The car icon is exclusively to Google Maps driving mode.

Google is also introducing new transit features, including accessibility information, security onboard, number of carriages available (Japan only), and even temperature.

“These useful bits of information come from past riders who've shared their experiences and will appear alongside public transit routes when available. To help future riders, you can answer a short survey within Google Maps about your experience on recent trips,” Google says.

This feature will launch in the coming months, but the updated Google Maps version is available for download today on both Android and iPhone.