Google Maps for iOS update speeds access to navigation, adds new languages

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Google on Tuesday pushed an update to their iOS maps application that tweaks the user interface when selecting a route for navigation, adds support for additional languages, and provides a new "Tips and Tricks" help section.

Google Maps for iOS update
Google Maps's previous route selection screen on an iPhone 4, left, and the updated screen featuring a new "mini map" on an iPhone 5, right


The update adds a useful "mini map" to the route selection screen that displays an overview of the route and current traffic conditions. The smaller, in-line map allows users to quickly compare the suggested routes before entering the full-screen navigation mode, which remains unchanged.

Google also integrated a "Tips and Tricks" help section into the app's sidebar which links to Google's online knowledge base and provides novice Google Maps users with step-by-step directions for actions like searching for locations, customizing their map view, and using Google's turn-by-turn navigation.

The Mountain View company also says in the update's release notes that the new version brings enhanced support for the Arabic and Hebrew languages --?including voice commands and prompts --?and "bug fixes."

The popular mapping and navigation app's last binary update brought Google+ integration in August of this year, and a few days later the company began including crowdsourced traffic information from newly-acquired Waze in the app.

The update can be downloaded now from the App Store.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 25
    - crickets chirping -
  • Reply 2 of 25
    hill60hill60 Posts: 6,992member

    meh, I'll leave it uninstalled, I don't need Google poking their nose in my business.

  • Reply 3 of 25
    ktappektappe Posts: 823member

    I wish this were a good product. But the last couple of times I tried to use Google Maps instead of Apple Maps, I found the interface unintelligible. I could not tell what button did what; I was flailing around hitting random buttons to try to get the thing to work.  Google is completely inept at user interfaces. So even though I have had Apple Maps mislead me on multiple occasions, at least I have a chance of getting there with them as opposed to a 0% chance with Google.

  • Reply 4 of 25
    andysolandysol Posts: 2,506member

    Google has an iOS app?

  • Reply 5 of 25
    Not a bad update - the mini-maps feature is nice. Worth clicking the button to update at least, I guess.
  • Reply 6 of 25
    The old layout is confusing at first. The new one is better. But. Slow news day?
  • Reply 7 of 25
    The biggest reason I use Google Maps on my iPhone is I can search for stuff on my computer and my phone can access that history.

    Planning a trip? I can star all the locations and my phone can see them.
  • Reply 8 of 25
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    andysol wrote: »
    Google has an iOS app?

    Google has apps for iOS, several in fact.
  • Reply 9 of 25

    Some users report that Apple Maps has greatly improved for them since launch.  Unfortunately, not for me.  Continues to be a near-useless disaster for my area in terms of business locations.  Thankful for Google Maps until Apple Maps gets fixed.

  • Reply 10 of 25
    Will it stop sending me on wild goose chases?
  • Reply 11 of 25
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by ktappe View Post

     

     I was flailing around hitting random buttons to try to get the thing to work. 


    This doesn't sound like an app problem :-)

  • Reply 12 of 25
    andysolandysol Posts: 2,506member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by dasanman69 View Post





    Google has apps for iOS, several in fact.

    /s........

  • Reply 13 of 25
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,382member

    I don't know about iOS, but I still find Google maps for Android buggy, unstable, unreliable, and generally frustrating to use a large percentage of the time. Not only does it often not correctly find my location, turn by turn is frustratingly inefficient, giving me ridiculous routes, telling me to do illegal maneuvers, and massacring the pronounciation of almost every street. I'm using a Nexus 4. I know this isn't popular to say, but I find Apple maps a much more pleasant experience. 

  • Reply 14 of 25
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    don108 wrote: »
    Will it stop sending me on wild goose chases?

    Stop putting 'wild goose' as your destination. :lol:
  • Reply 15 of 25
    adamcadamc Posts: 583member
    wubbus wrote: »
    Some users report that Apple Maps has greatly improved for them since launch.  Unfortunately, not for me.  Continues to be a near-useless disaster for my area in terms of business locations.  Thankful for Google Maps until Apple Maps gets fixed.

    I had been testing Apple Maps and it works flawlessly.

    As for business locations in your area and if you don't know where they are it looks like you are really in trouble and not Apple Maps.
  • Reply 16 of 25
    adamcadamc Posts: 583member
    Deleted
  • Reply 17 of 25
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Slurpy View Post

     

    I don't know about iOS, but I still find Google maps for Android buggy, unstable, unreliable, and generally frustrating to use a large percentage of the time. Not only does it often not correctly find my location, turn by turn is frustratingly inefficient, giving me ridiculous routes, telling me to do illegal maneuvers, and massacring the pronounciation of almost every street. I'm using a Nexus 4. I know this isn't popular to say, but I find Apple maps a much more pleasant experience. 


    Didn't realize apple released their map app on android? :-)

     

    Slightly off topic, but my daughter and I spent about an hour trying to get Siri to learn how to properly pronounce her name, now that was a frustrating experience. We gave up in the end and settled for some off sounding name.

  • Reply 18 of 25
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,382member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by patpatpat View Post

     

    Didn't realize apple released their map app on android? :-)

     

    Slightly off topic, but my daughter and I spent about an hour trying to get Siri to learn how to properly pronounce her name, now that was a frustrating experience. We gave up in the end and settled for some off sounding name.


     

    I have an iPhone 4S and a Nexus 4. 

  • Reply 19 of 25
    adamc wrote: »
    I had been testing Apple Maps and it works flawlessly.

    As for business locations in your area and if you don't know where they are it looks like you are really in trouble and not Apple Maps.

    I probably should've said "business details" as opposed to "business locations." For instance for finding the phone number for a local business.
  • Reply 20 of 25
    ktappe wrote: »
    I wish this were a good product. But the last couple of times I tried to use Google Maps instead of Apple Maps, I found the interface unintelligible. I could not tell what button did what; I was flailing around hitting random buttons to try to get the thing to work.  Google is completely inept at user interfaces. So even though I have had Apple Maps mislead me on multiple occasions, at least I have a chance of getting there with them as opposed to a 0% chance with Google.

    Considering how they have extremely similar interfaces, I'm going to call BS on this. Google Maps even has bigger buttons so it's actually easier to use than Apple Maps. Apple Maps confusing uses what looks like an information icon (the "i" in the circle) to access map settings and everything just seems further away and not as easy to access. Although it might be nonstandard, it's also nice Google having access to the map settings without having to make your way through the Settings app.

    Plus Google traffic still blows the crap out of Apple's traffic information. What a frustrating, un-user friendly decision to only show areas with traffic problems with no distinction between clear traffic vs. no traffic data. That alone is why I will stick with Google Maps. There's also the larger data set that Google posesses for searching for businesses and things like trails (which Apple has no data on in my area).
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