With the new update of Google Maps some new features are coming to the users. The update should bring everyone safely through the cold season.
Order food
In the past, the app has already seen a number of innovations and improvements, now Google is adding another one. With the update Google Maps will integrate the delivery command, so you can order food directly from Maps. Already in April the function was introduced by Google to be able to order food with the search. Now with the update follows an extension of the previous functions. After the update the status of the order can be called up with Android and iOS. So the expected waiting times and the delivery charges. A save function is also included so that your favorite food can be reordered with just a few clicks. All of Corona-Like will then also show you whether the delivery can be made contactless. Lieferando is one of the first partners of the new Google service. Others will certainly follow.
Public transport utilization via Google Maps
To ensure that users get safely from A to B, Google Maps has included a real-time tracking of public transport. With this update, Google wants to take into account the disruptions caused by the corona pandemic and thus enable better tracking of traffic. For example, it is possible to see exactly how full the respective bus line is at any given time. This feature was first integrated in June. However, only a forecast of the capacity utilization was made and no precise information was given. With the update there is now a kind of “level indicator” in real time from public transport, like the fuel gauge in a car. In order for the app to work properly, it is assumed that users will also provide data from their region. The provision of the information is queried by using route navigation and must be approved by the user. Google has thus created a social distancing tool. Citizens can now use the app to estimate how full the train or bus is when they want to use it.
That’s not all
In September, Google introduced Covid 19 layers in Maps. With this feature, the spread of corona in the various regions can be tracked using a map. In the near future, further information on iOS and Android will be added to the maps. There will be links to the resources in authorities and the detected cases in an area will be displayed.
Last but not least, Google Maps will now include the driving mode in an update. This is called Google-Assistant-Driving-Mode and reduces the user interface so that the driver is less distracted. However, this mode is still in the test phase and is not yet fully developed. Google started with this function in May and is constantly improving it to provide a distraction-free user interface. So far, the Google Assistant Driving Mode is only available in the USA and in English.
