Google Maps

By MacRumors Staff
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Google Maps How Tos

How to Clear Google Maps Search History on iPhone and iPad

Friday March 26, 2021 3:43 pm PDT by
If you prefer using Google Maps over Apple Maps on your iPhone or iPad, it's useful to know that you have the ability to manage how long your map search history is stored on Google's servers. This article shows you how. When you start typing the name of somewhere in Google Maps, the app throws up suggestions of your recent searches for places and directions, which can be useful if you visit...

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Apple Maps vs. Google Maps: Which Is Better?

Wednesday March 13, 2024 6:04 am PDT by
Apple Maps has been providing navigational guidance to Apple users for almost 13 and a half years now, and much has changed about the app in that time. However, according to data from Canalys, the overwhelming majority of iPhones in the U.S. still have Google Maps downloaded as an alternative to ‌Apple Maps‌, which comes preinstalled on all iPhones. We want to hear from MacRumors readers. Which...
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Google Maps Finally Rolls Out Glanceable Directions

Wednesday February 28, 2024 1:07 am PST by
After more than a year since announcing the feature, Google Maps is finally rolling out glanceable directions on Android and iOS (via Android Police). The feature allows users to view turn-by-turn directions and a live ETA directly from their device's lock screen – information that was previously only visible when a phone was unlocked. Glanceable directions also work on the app's route...
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Google Maps Still Working On Long-Overdue Live Activities Support

Wednesday January 10, 2024 3:55 am PST by
Google Maps continues to work on integrating Live Activities support for iPhones, according to new assets unearthed by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris in the latest version of the app. Evidence that the feature was in development first appeared in August, but further work on it had appeared to have come to a standstill until now, suggesting it could become functional soon. The Google...
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Google Maps Gains Immersive View for Routes and Other AI Features

Friday October 27, 2023 4:58 am PDT by
Google Maps is getting a new Immersive View for routes that uses artificial intelligence, Street View, and aerial images to preview every step of a journey ahead of time. When users get directions for driving, walking, or cycling, Google Maps now offers a "multidimensional experience" that can be used to preview bike lanes, sidewalks, intersections, and parking along the route, according to...
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Google Maps Preparing Live Activities Support Ahead of Dynamic Island Expanding to All iPhone 15 Models

Monday August 28, 2023 12:05 pm PDT by
The latest version of the Google Maps app for the iPhone includes hidden code-level references to Live Activities, according to MacRumors contributor Steve Moser. The feature remains in development and it is not yet functional in the app. Live Activities will allow Google Maps users to view turn-by-turn directions and the ETA in a single live-updating Lock Screen notification, and in the...
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Google Maps to Offer Turn-by-Turn Directions in iPhone's Dynamic Island

Wednesday February 8, 2023 6:44 pm PST by
Google today announced that its Maps app will support Live Activities in the coming months, providing iPhone users with access to turn-by-turn directions on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Live Activities integration will allow users to receive real-time ETAs and directions for driving, biking, walking, public transit, and other forms of...
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Google Maps for iOS Gaining Augmented Reality Live View Search in Select Cities

Thursday November 17, 2022 12:31 pm PST by
Google is bringing a new augmented reality Live View feature to its Maps app, allowing smartphone users to visually search for restaurants, coffee shops, and other businesses that are located nearby. Using Live View, you can open up Maps and tap the camera icon in the search bar to see what's around you, from shops and banks to ATMs and bars. Google Maps will provide AR-powered directions...
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Google Maps Gains Landmark Aerial Views, Location Sharing Notifications for Arrival and Departure, and More

Wednesday July 27, 2022 2:29 am PDT by
Google is rolling out some new Maps features to its iOS and Android apps for the summer, including new location sharing options, cycling directions enhancements, and photorealistic aerial views of famous city landmarks. First, location sharing. Google says it wants to make it easier to see when someone who has shared their location with you arrives or leaves a place, "so you can more easily...
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Google Maps Now Estimates Toll Charges for Your Journey

Tuesday June 14, 2022 2:35 am PDT by
Google Maps is gaining a new feature on iOS and Android that estimates the amount of money you'll have to pay in tolls for a chosen route. Before you set off, you'll now see the estimated toll price to your destination in the app. Google says the road information is sourced from local tolling authorities, and includes factors like having a toll pass or not, what day of the week it is, and...
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Google Maps' Historical Street View Imagery Now Available on iOS

Tuesday May 24, 2022 2:42 am PDT by
Google Maps' Street View is 15 years old today, and to celebrate, Google is rolling out the ability to view historical imagery when using the service on iOS and Android. When in Street View mode, users can access the historical imagery by first tapping anywhere on the photo to see information about the location, and then selecting "see more dates" to access the current location's historical...
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Google Maps to Gain Impressive New 'Immersive View' Later This Year

Thursday May 12, 2022 4:11 am PDT by
Google Maps is set to get a new Immersive view for cities that uses artificial intelligence and high-quality 3D rendering to simulate real-time data, Google has announced. Thanks to advances in computer vision and AI that allow us to fuse together billions of Street View and aerial images to create a rich, digital model of the world — we're introducing a whole new way to explore with...
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Google Maps for iOS Gains More Detail, Toll Estimates, and Standalone Apple Watch Support

Tuesday April 5, 2022 9:38 am PDT by
Google today updated its dedicated Google Maps app for iOS devices, introducing several new features that will improve the navigation experience on iPhones. There is a more detailed navigation map that Google says is designed to make it easier for people to drive on unfamiliar roads. Google Maps will show traffic lights and stop signs along the route, and enhanced details like building...
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Google Maps Warns You About Crowded Areas With Updated 'Busyness' Feature

Tuesday November 16, 2021 3:40 pm PST by
Google today announced the launch of new iOS Google Maps features aimed at helping holiday shoppers, including Area Busyness and Directories. With Area Busyness, Google combines the busyness trends of businesses and locations that are near each other to let you know when a neighborhood or a part of town is at its busiest. Google says that this feature can help you identify busy areas to...
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Google Maps for iOS Gaining Dark Mode and Messages Integration for Sharing Real-Time Location

Tuesday August 3, 2021 9:00 am PDT by
Google today announced new updates that are coming to the Google Maps app designed for the iPhone. The most notable new feature is dark mode, which Google Maps app users have long been wanting. Dark mode is an alternative to light mode and allows for a darker user interface to match other dark mode apps on iOS devices. According to Google, dark mode is going to be rolling out "in the coming...
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Google Maps Gains Home Screen Widgets on iPhone

Wednesday July 28, 2021 9:40 am PDT by
Google today updated its Google Maps app for the iPhone to add support for widgets that can be added both to the Today View and the Home Screen. There are two separate widget options. The first allows users to check traffic conditions, store opening times, restaurant reviews, and more for a given location, while the second is designed to let users find places that are nearby like...
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Google Maps Gains Expanded Transit Crowdedness Predictions

Wednesday July 21, 2021 3:00 am PDT by
Google today announced that it is expanding transit crowdedness predictions to more than 10,000 transit agencies in 100 countries so that customers can better determine which transit options are at capacity and which have more open space and seating available. In New York and Sydney, Google is launching a pilot program that lets Maps users see live crowdedness information at the transit car...
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All of Google's Main Apps Now Feature Privacy Labels

Tuesday April 6, 2021 10:45 am PDT by
Four months after Apple first began requiring apps to add App Privacy labels to their App Store listings, Google has finally updated all of its most popular apps with the information, letting people know exactly what data Google is collecting. Google began adding App Privacy labels to its apps in February after months of delaying. Gmail, for example, got App Privacy labels on February 22,...
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Google Maps Announces Indoor AR Navigation and Eco-Friendly Route Options

Tuesday March 30, 2021 4:46 am PDT by
Google today announced several new features coming to Google Maps for iOS and Android this year, including a brand new "Live View" mode that uses AR for navigation inside malls and airports. Live Mode aims to prevent customers from the "awkward moment when you're walking in the opposite direction of where you want to go" by providing directions in AR, right in the app. Google says the new...
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Google Maps Gaining Tools for Drawing Missing Roads, Sharing Photo Updates

Thursday March 11, 2021 9:18 am PST by
Google today announced a number of improvements that are coming to the Google Maps app in the near future, including a tool that makes it easier to highlight missing roads and transportation errors. There's a new road editing tool available on the desktop, accessible by going to maps.google.com. Users can click on the side menu button and select the "Edit the map" option to get to the a...
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Google Maps iOS App Will Soon Let You Pay for Parking and Transit Rides

Thursday February 18, 2021 1:40 am PST by
Google has just rolled out a new pay for parking feature in the U.S. that lets Android users pay for street parking and mass transit fares right from within Google Maps, without having to come in contact with a parking meter or ticket machine. These days, people are upping their hand sanitizing game and avoiding touching public surfaces as much as possible. Thanks to an integration with...