Google Maps for iOS Gaining New 'Pit Stop' Feature

Google today announced an incoming update to its Google Maps for iOS app that will let users add pit stops onto their trips without leaving navigation mode. First introduced on Android last fall, the company said that the pit stop feature will be available in any country where Google Maps navigation is offered, which is "more than 100 worldwide."

From navigation mode, users will just need to tap the magnifying glass located in the top right corner of Google Maps to see a drop down menu of potential pit stops to add to a trip. The menu offers a few automatic options like restaurants and coffee shops, but a search field gives users a more robust option for specifically finding their desired pit stop.

Life is full of the unexpected—things that send us scrambling for a gas station in the middle of nowhere, looking up a florist on our way home from work or searching for a restaurant as we tour the back roads of our latest vacation destination. Finding and navigating to these last-minute pit stops used to force you out of navigation mode in Google Maps—and away from the traffic updates, turn-by-turn directions and map you rely on to stay on track.

Similar to Android, the new function on iOS details both the public rating of the pit stop and the amount of time the detour will add onto a trip, letting users select the best-rated and quickest pit stop beforehand. Prior to the update, Google Maps users would have to manually discover and find a potential pit stop, navigate to the location, and when ready to leave, re-start their original route navigation.

The company said the new update to Google Maps [Direct Link] will see its worldwide rollout to iOS users starting today.