It’s been 15 years since people have been asking Google for directions. The internet giant’s navigation app, Google Maps, turned 15 on Thursday.

“We’re celebrating our 15th birthday with a fresh look. A new icon and everything you need at your fingertips with five helpful tabs, rolling out starting today on Android and iOS. #GoogleMaps15,” Google Maps tweeted from its official account.

Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai sent his wishes through social media.

“Happy 15th Birthday @GoogleMaps! Reflecting today on some of the ways it’s been helpful to me, from getting around more easily to finding a good veggie burrito wherever I am:) Thanks to the support of our users, Maps keeps getting more helpful every day,” Pichai tweeted.

To mark the occasion, Google introduced a plethora of new features and revamped the layout of the app.

“With more than one billion people turning to Google Maps to see and explore the world, we're celebrating our 15th birthday with a new look and product updates based on feedback from you,” Google Maps said in an official statement.

Here’s a look at all the Google Maps updates to help you navigate through the app.

 

A fresh new look

 

One of the biggest changes that Google made to the app is doing way with its classic map intersection app icon. The earlier version of the Google Maps app icon has been replaced with just the iconic pin in Google’s standard hues on a white background.

The app has also introduced a celebratory party-themed car icon, available for a limited time as a party favour.

Google has also introduced two new tabs at the bottom of the app which are ‘Updates’ and ‘Contribute.’ Overall, there will now be five main tabs at the bottom of the app for easy access

―Explore, Commute, Saved, Contribute and Updates.

The Explore tab will provide information on ratingsand reviews, among others, for more than 200 million places around the world, including local restaurants, nearby attractions and city landmarks.

The Commute tabis meant for users to find the best route for their daily commute and get real-time traffic updates, travel times and suggestions for alternative routes on the same.

The Saved tab will give users access to “more than 6.5 million places” that people have saved across the world. It is basically just a more refined version of the earlier ‘For You’ tab on the app.

Users can share details about roads, addresses, missing places, reviews and photos with the Contribute tab.The Updates tab helps them keep up with trending spots at a particular location.

 

New insights

 

Google Maps is adding more insights to the map including Temperature, Safety and Accessibility on public transport, etc. The ‘Accessibility’ option provides information about public transit with “staffed assistance, accessible entrance and seating, accessible stop-button or hi-visible LED,” and is a major help for the physically challenged.

It also provides insights on designated carriages in public transport for women, apart from security insights including presence of a security guard, installed security cameras, available helpline and more.

WithGoogle’s ‘Number of carriages available’ ― exclusive to Japan ― users can pick a route based on the available carriages in public transport to increase their chances of getting a seat.

Google will start rolling out these insights across the globe in March.

 

Getting real

After introducing Live View in 2019 that allows users to see a particular location in real-time, Google has revamped the feature through augmented reality.

“By combining Street View’s real-world imagery, machine learning and smartphone sensors, Live View in Google Maps shows you your surroundings with the directions overlaid in Augmented Reality,” Google said.

Users can now directly point their phone at their surroundings and get directions in Live View rather than testing their navigation skills with a digital map.

The tech giant has derived a lot of inspiration from India in designing multiple features for Google Maps.

For instance, Google Maps now provides information about public toilets around a particular location. The feature was inspired by the Swachh Bharat Mission, according to media reports.

The company is also looking to introduce a mixed-mode commute feature across cities in India that will show multiple public transportation modes available for commuting to a specific destination.

 

 

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