On the occasion of the 15th birthday of Google Maps, Google has announced a major update to the mobile app with a brand new look.
The new Google Maps app for iOS and Android completely does away with the hamburger menu and only relies on tabs at the bottom for navigation purposes. In total, there are five tabs: Explore, Commute, Saved, Contribute, and Updates.
The Explore tab will provide one with information about nearby attractions, city landmarks, local restaurants along with their ratings, reviews, and more.
The Commute tab will provide one with all the details regarding your commute irrespective of whether you are traveling by car or public transit. This includes real-time traffic information, alternative routes, estimated travel time, and more. The tab will also contain details shared by other Maps users like temperature, carriages with women"s section, presence of a security guard, and accessibility. The Saved tab will contain a list of all the locations and spots that you have saved and marked in Google Maps.
The new Contribute tab will make it easier to contribute content to Google Maps. You can quickly upload photos of points of interest, add missing places, review businesses, and more. Lastly, the Updates tab will show a list of trending and must-see spots from local expert contributors and publishers. It will also help you share and discover recommendations from people within your network. You will be able to use the Updates tab to directly chat with businesses as well.
The Google Maps icon is also getting a design overhaul as a part of the update. It is based on the pin which has been a key part of Google Maps right from the beginning.
The AR-based Live View feature is also getting an update. It will show a red pin on the location you have to go and how far you are from it instead of pointing a big blue arrow towards it.
The new look of Google Maps should be available on iOS and Android starting from today, though some of the features will be available in the coming months.