Google Maps 'Two-Wheeler' Mode Launches In India, More Countries to Follow - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Google Maps 'Two-Wheeler' Mode Launches In India, More Countries to Follow

by

Google debuted a new "two-wheeler" mode for Google Maps on Tuesday as part of its Google India media event in New Delhi. The biker-based feature joins the existing driving, walking, and public transit modes for Google Maps users in India looking for the fastest possible directions to their intended destination.

collage 120517013149

Image via India Today

The new mode for motorcycle and scooter users shows trip routes that use "shortcuts" not accessible to other vehicles, and provides customized traffic and arrival time estimates.

The two-wheeler mode also shows major landmarks along the planned route to help riders who rely on them for navigation, as is often the case in India.


Like offline maps when they first launched, the two-wheeler mode for Google Maps is only available in India to begin with, but Google says the feature will roll out to more countries in the coming months. It's unclear at present where "two-wheeler" mode will sit in relation to Google Maps' existing cycling directions, but rider safety, speed, and designated routes are sure to differ.

Top Rated Comments

MH01 Avatar
110 months ago
That's kinda cool - though bikes can go places cars cannot, they are suppose to follow exactly the same road rules .

In boring western countries anyway .

To be fair - when I was in India , the concept of lanes, traffic etc was governed by the horn .... its be best example I've ever seen of organised chaos ... and if you can drive in India , you can drive anywhere :)
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
haruhiko Avatar
110 months ago
In this sense, they can also release a GTA mode for 4-or-more-wheel vehicles which doesn't have to follow any traffic rules and regulations.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
110 months ago
Apple maps was always light years beyond google maps and the gap continues to widen.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
110 months ago
That's kinda cool - though bikes can go places cars cannot, they are suppose to follow exactly the same road rules .

In boring western countries anyway .
Not necessarily in the U.K. where in many places bikes are allowed in bus lanes. This can be especially useful on one-way streets with contraflow bus lanes. A good example of this is Reading where Google Maps will try and force you around the one-way system needlessly as it does not know the difference.

And important for navigation purposes is that filtering (lane splitting) is legal here, so when a road is so congested that a navigation service would want to reroute cars, it could still be the better option for bikes. Especially if the systern takes account of lane widths to know which this are more filtering friendly.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gasu E. Avatar
110 months ago
What's it like riding a bike in traffic while trying to listen to voice directions?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

apple india

India Won't Require Apple to Preinstall Government ID App on iPhones

Friday April 17, 2026 3:07 pm PDT by
India will not require smartphone makers like Apple and Samsung to preload devices with a state-owned biometric identification app, reports Reuters. The Unique Identification Authority of India asked the IT ministry to start talks with Apple and other tech companies about the possibility of mandatory preinstallation of the Aadhaar identity app, but the IT ministry told Reuters today that it...
apple india

Apple Withholds Data as India Antitrust Case Advances to Final Hearing

Monday April 20, 2026 4:55 am PDT by
Apple is facing a fast-track decision on regulatory penalties in India because it has not submitted data sought by the country's antitrust body as part of an investigation into its market practices. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) ⁠published a report in 2024 that Apple exploited its dominant position in the apps market by forcing developers to use its proprietary in-app purchase...
digital car key iphone

Apple Set to Add Car Key Support for India's Tata Vehicles

Monday April 20, 2026 5:16 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to bring support for its digital car key feature to Tata EV vehicles, based on evidence uncovered by MacRumors on Apple's backend. Tata is an Indian multinational commercial vehicle manufacturer, headquartered in Mumbai. The company produces trucks, vans, and buses, and is now on an internal Apple list of vehicles that offer car key integration, but it is not known which...