Photo: autoevolution
Back in 2020, Google officially announced a substantial Google Maps makeover, promising to provide users with more street-level details, all with the purpose of enhancing the way we explore certain places from the comfort of our homes.
At the same time, such content helps refine the navigation experience, especially for pedestrians, as these details include accurately scaled road widths, pathways and stairs in parks, sidewalks, crosswalks, and medians and pedestrian islands.
The Mountain View-based search giant has officially started shipping these changes in some specific regions, such as London, New York, San Francisco, and Tokyo, last month. Now, the rollout has reportedly been completed, with all users allowed to enjoy them on Google Maps on mobile and the desktop.
While the refreshed street-level details are available everywhere in Google Maps (on iPhone, Android, and on the web), worth knowing is that right now, Google is focusing only on the locations mentioned above.
The company has already promised to bring the refresh to more regions across the world rather sooner than later, but for now, just make sure to explore one of the cities we told you about earlier to get a taste of what’s to come to more of the world at a later time.
“In some cities around the world, you can now find street-level details, like crosswalks, sidewalks, and true-to-scale road widths, within Maps. These details help you more accurately explore an area and make plans before you visit. This can be especially helpful when you navigate on foot or have accessibility needs, like wheelchair or stroller requirements,” Google explains.
In the meantime, the Google Maps team is also working on other big updates for the service. Those include a driving mode that would transform the navigation app into a central hub for the experience behind the wheel. This driving mode is currently available exclusively on Android for users in the United States.
The Mountain View-based search giant has officially started shipping these changes in some specific regions, such as London, New York, San Francisco, and Tokyo, last month. Now, the rollout has reportedly been completed, with all users allowed to enjoy them on Google Maps on mobile and the desktop.
While the refreshed street-level details are available everywhere in Google Maps (on iPhone, Android, and on the web), worth knowing is that right now, Google is focusing only on the locations mentioned above.
The company has already promised to bring the refresh to more regions across the world rather sooner than later, but for now, just make sure to explore one of the cities we told you about earlier to get a taste of what’s to come to more of the world at a later time.
“In some cities around the world, you can now find street-level details, like crosswalks, sidewalks, and true-to-scale road widths, within Maps. These details help you more accurately explore an area and make plans before you visit. This can be especially helpful when you navigate on foot or have accessibility needs, like wheelchair or stroller requirements,” Google explains.
In the meantime, the Google Maps team is also working on other big updates for the service. Those include a driving mode that would transform the navigation app into a central hub for the experience behind the wheel. This driving mode is currently available exclusively on Android for users in the United States.
Google News