The official blog for Google Maps
Easily add pit stops to your trips – all over the world, on Android and iPhone
February 29, 2016
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.
That changed last October with an
update
to Google Maps for Android that lets you add detours to your route, without ever leaving navigation mode. And starting today, this feature will start rolling out on iOS as well, in any country where we offer navigation—more than 100 worldwide. So no matter where you’re from, where you are, or whether you use Android or iPhone, making a pit stop is now a breeze. Here’s how it works on the iPhone:
When you're in navigation mode, simply tap the magnifying glass at the top right corner of the screen to see a menu of helpful options for places you might need to stop at, like gas stations, grocery stores, or restaurants. If the drop-down options aren’t what you need, you can tap the search icon or use voice commands to search by specific name or category to find what you’re looking for. Search results include ratings and the estimated amount of time the detour will add to your trip, so you can choose the one that’s best for you.
Whether you're running an errand in your own backyard or roadtripping through a foreign land, Google Maps helps you get where you’re going, even if you have to make some stops along the way.
Posted by: Aditya Dhanrajani, Google Maps Product Manager
And the winner is….#MapsAtTheMovies
February 26, 2016
Whether you watch to laugh, cry or go on a journey through time, film lets you travel the world, if only for a few hours. And whether it's in a movie or with a map, we're fans of armchair travel. So to celebrate this Sunday’s 88th Academy Awards Show, we're taking you on some of the most famous journeys from film, through the lens of Google Maps.
This tale
of a remarkable man may remind you of your childhood sweetheart, inspire you to take a good, long run or eat a box of chocolates. That’s all we have to say about that.
What does it take to win 20 million rupees? Just ask
this millionaire
! Pro-tip: a mapping app with train schedules might come in handy.
Feeling like a washed up superhero?
This Oscar winner
proves Batman can still fly and is sure to please movie and theater critics alike.
Maybe through the journey of these characters you learned a little more about Google Maps, or maybe you were able to see their stories from a different perspective. Either way, grab a bowl of popcorn because SHHH . . . it’s starting!
Posted by Megan Stevenson, Google Maps Marketing Manager
Street View gets you off the sidelines and into the game
February 25, 2016
Did you know that starting today you can go on a Street View tour of sports stadiums and arenas? #Winning.
Start by revving your engines, now for the first time, NASCAR fans can zip around the
Homestead Miami Speedway
. Looping around the track, you can imagine driving at high speed, burning rubber along the way. More interested in tossing around a pigskin? No sweat. Just step out on the field of
Century Link Stadium
in Seattle, home to the Seattle Seahawks.
Homestead Miami Speedway, Miami, Florida
If futbol (not football) is what you have in mind, Google Maps can take you out on the big green. Stop by
Dick’s Sporting Good’s Park
, where the Colorado Rapids play, or the
MAPFRE Stadium
in Columbus, Ohio, where you can step out on the field like you’re on the Columbus Crew SC. Goallllll!
Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Denver, Colorado
Shoot some virtual hoops on the court of the
Verizon Center
in DC, where Washington Wizards, Washington Mystics and Georgetown Hoyas fans all root on their home teams. You can also hit the paint at the
AT&T Center
in Texas, where the San Antonio Spurs and the San Antonio Rampage take home court advantage.
Verizon Center, Washington DC
All these collections
and more
are also available on your mobile device, so download the Google Map for Mobile app on
iOS
or
Android
to preview can't miss spots and get simple directions, no matter which team you're rooting for.
Posted by Deanna Yick, Street View Program Manager
“Explore around you” in five new countries...delicious discoveries await!
February 24, 2016
Looking for the perfect place to eat and drink today? Good news: Google Maps has got a menu for you. Starting today in France, Italy, Spain, Germany and Japan, you can choose the "Explore around you" option in Google Maps for mobile on Android to get quick suggestions for places to eat and drink that suit your style.
Already available in the U.S. and U.K
, whether you’re a tourist looking for a top-rated dinner spot or a local trying to find a new neighborhood watering hole, Google Maps can help you make a delicious, timely discovery while you’re on the go.
Say you're in Milan looking for a quick bite between meetings, or you want a great spot for dinner with kids in Berlin. Tap the “Explore around you” icon at the bottom of Google Maps for mobile for a quick look at what's nearby. Options are organized by category, and once you pick the one that catches your eye (and stomach), you can easily swipe through photos and check out ratings and reviews from Google and previous diners. And for select spots, you may see information on why it’s particularly relevant to you: for example, Google Maps may recommend a place that’s popular with other diners who visited a place you’ve been to in the past.
Finally, if you’re in Tokyo or Paris, you’re in for a treat: an expanded list of categories for your taste buds are available. For Parisians, categories like Lieux mythiques; Brasseries classiques and Un verre avec une vue; En vue de la Tour Eiffel may surprise and delight. While in Tokyo, jazzy spots listed in the オールドスクール ジャズ レトロなジャズバーとクラブ might pique your interest. Pro tip for tourists:
Google Translate
may also come in handy when exploring these categories!
Whatever flavor you’re searching for, we hope Google Maps gets you there.
Posted by Bryan Cheng, Product Manager, Google Maps
Let Google Maps be your game day guide
February 3, 2016
While you may know which team you’re cheering for this Sunday, chances are you’re undecided on another big question: where you’ll watch the football finale. Google Maps just scored you the perfect guide to the big game, so you can focus on getting your game face on.
Starting today on Google Maps for Android in select cities across the U.S., you can discover the spots near you where you can get a great seat for kickoff. Just open Google Maps, tap on “explore food & drinks in this area” and select “Best Spots for the Big Game - Where to eat, drink & watch.” You’ll see a curated list of bars and restaurants around you where you can go to watch the biggest game (and best commercials) of the season. The experience is available in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas-Ft. Worth, San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Denver and Charlotte.
If you’re attending the festivities in person in the Bay Area, explore a My Map highlighting the locations of all the key events. Public transit is the recommended form of transportation, but if you must drive, use the Google Maps app to get around. We covered all the local road closures and transit schedule changes so you can get where you’re going without missing a play.
For those wanting to explore more of what the Bay Area has to offer,
Google Maps Local Guide
and foodie expert
Kristin Rimbach
has used My Maps to put together an insider’s guide for you to experience the best of the East Bay, the South Bay, and the city itself. East Bay highlights include some Latin love at Brazil Cafe and unmissable mac and cheese at Homeroom. If you’re going to stay within SF’s 49 square miles, she recommends stopping by Suppenkuche for hearty German fare and Smitten Ice Cream for a sweet treat.
To access these recommendations on the go, visit
Kristin’s My Map
and tap the star toward the top left of the map. That’ll save the My Map in Your Places in Google Maps so you can pull it up when you’re ready to explore.
Whether you’re sporting orange or blue this Sunday, we’ll help make your big game a touchdown, not a toss up.
Posted by Susan Cadrecha, Google Maps Water Girl
Reach new heights with Street View of Mont Blanc in Google Maps
January 21, 2016
Declared the “monarch of mountains” by Lord Byron, the
Mont Blanc massif
is shrouded in mystery, rolling clouds and imposing snowfields. One of Europe’s highest peaks, the wild terrain of the famed mountain range is reserved for ardent mountaineers and intrepid explorers. Starting today in Google Maps, you can get an up-close, 360-degree look at the breathtaking beauty of Mont Blanc. Following last year’s first-ever vertical imagery collection of El Capitan in California’s
Yosemite National Park
, we partnered with world-renowned alpine photographers, skiers, mountaineers, climbers, and runners to collect Street View of Western Europe’s highest peak.
By working with legendary adventurers, the Street View team was able to capture the spirit of the massif in a way few witness firsthand. Run on the summit with
Kilian Jornet
—he holds the speed record for ascending and descending Mont Blanc in just 4 hours 57 minutes! Ice climb up a serac with record-setting alpine climber
Ueli Steck
, or go knee deep in powder alongside 14-time ski mountaineering champion
Laetitia Roux and famed guide Patrick Gabarrou
.
Ueli Steck ice climbing on Mont Blanc
You can also join French climbing legend
Catherine Destivelle
on the imposing yet beautiful
Aiguille du Midi
, the 3842-meter peak near the Mont Blanc. Or, crouch below innovative filmmaker and free skier
Candide Thovex as he soars through the air
or has fun as only he can—by
taking his skis from the snow to the grass
.
Catherine Destivelle ascending near the Aiguille du Midi
Renan Ozturk
, acclaimed cinematographer and National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, alpine photographer
Jonathan Griffith
, and
Sender Films
joined Google on Mont Blanc as part of the team.
If reaching the top is what you care about, elite guide
Korra Pesce
joined the troupe by carrying the Street View Trekker up and down the
Goûter Route
of Mont Blanc. Click through the Street View to get his first-person perspective of each step to the summit.
Climb the entire Goûter Route of the Mont Blanc massif
Unfortunately, Mont Blanc’s glaciers are receding due to climate change. You can
learn more
about how the rising temperatures are directly affecting the mountain from legendary guide Patrick Gabarrou, who describes the the glacial melt on the
Mer de Glace
. So this Street View imagery also serves as a digital record of Mont Blanc as it appears today, so future outdoor enthusiasts and scientists can look back at this time capsule to see how the mountain has changed.
Kilian Jornet on the summit of Mont Blanc
Whether you choose to run up the Mont Blanc with Kilian Jornet or ski down with Laetitia Roux, we hope you enjoy reaching new heights in Europe’s
beautiful and endangered mountain range
.
Posted by Sandy Russell, Project Lead, Mont Blanc Street View
Do I stay or do I go now? Google Maps has the answer in one tap.
January 13, 2016
It’s almost 5 p.m. Wednesday—time for that daily game of traffic roulette. The likelihood of stop and go traffic looms in front of you, yet at the same time the latest episode of Downton Abbey and the comfort of your couch are calling.
Well, Google Maps has good news for you. Now with just one tap on Android, you can find out whether you should hit the road or put in some gym time while you wait out the gridlock. Get information like ETAs, traffic updates, nearby gas prices and quickest routes to familiar places–like home, work and recently searched destinations–all without entering a destination.
To add a driving shortcut, press on your homescreen until Android widgets appear, then select the Google Maps driving shortcut icon.
You can also access this feature through the sidebar menu in Google Maps. Tap the sidebar menu and select the “Start Driving” option.
If you’ve preset home and work in Google Maps, you’ll see ETAs at times when you’re likely to be heading to these destinations. If you have location history enabled, we base these suggestions on location data, time of day and day of week. And if you’re logged in, we’ll suggest destinations based on recent Google Maps and Google searches when you open driving mode.
Why join the masses in bumper-to-bumper chaos when your time could be spent doing something else? With quick access to traffic info, it's now easier to make the call.
Posted By: Brian Ferris, Google Maps Software Engineer
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