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Google has resumed work on improving Google Maps, and the company has thus shipped the first 2021 update for the application earlier today.
Worth knowing, however, is this new update is still in the beta stage, so only testers should give it a try right now. On the other hand, pretty much everyone with an Android device can install this build by just getting the stand-alone APK installer from the page linked below.
First and foremost, it needs to be mentioned that this new update is exclusive to Android, and it brings Google Maps beta to version 10.58.0. This is quite a jump from 10.57.0 beta shipped in early December, and it seems to signal substantial improvements over the latest 10.56.2 build available in the stable channel.
Then, this new update comes without a changelog, though the version jump seems to suggest there’s something big in there. I installed this build on my Android device, yet I can’t see anything different right now, so there’s a chance Google has focused on under the hood improvements for now, with no visible changes at this point.
One big update for Google Maps this year is the new driving mode, which has recently been enabled in preview for Android users in the United States.
This driving mode is supposed to replace Android Auto for phones, essentially turning Google Maps into a central hub for the experience behind the wheel. Google has already promised to expand the driving mode to more markets throughout 2021, and more information in this regard is expected later this year.
You can download the latest Google Maps version from this page, but keep in mind the beta builds shouldn’t be used as daily drivers on the main device. Beta releases come with an increased likelihood of issues and are released specifically for testing, as Google needs feedback to resolve potential issues before new updates are pushed to all devices.
First and foremost, it needs to be mentioned that this new update is exclusive to Android, and it brings Google Maps beta to version 10.58.0. This is quite a jump from 10.57.0 beta shipped in early December, and it seems to signal substantial improvements over the latest 10.56.2 build available in the stable channel.
Then, this new update comes without a changelog, though the version jump seems to suggest there’s something big in there. I installed this build on my Android device, yet I can’t see anything different right now, so there’s a chance Google has focused on under the hood improvements for now, with no visible changes at this point.
One big update for Google Maps this year is the new driving mode, which has recently been enabled in preview for Android users in the United States.
This driving mode is supposed to replace Android Auto for phones, essentially turning Google Maps into a central hub for the experience behind the wheel. Google has already promised to expand the driving mode to more markets throughout 2021, and more information in this regard is expected later this year.
You can download the latest Google Maps version from this page, but keep in mind the beta builds shouldn’t be used as daily drivers on the main device. Beta releases come with an increased likelihood of issues and are released specifically for testing, as Google needs feedback to resolve potential issues before new updates are pushed to all devices.
Google News