Google Maps is getting major updates just in time for the world to reopen

Daniel Howley

Google (GOOG, GOOGL) is bringing some big changes to its hugely popular Maps app just as people around the world are preparing for a return to normalcy as COVID vaccination rates increase.

The app, which comes preinstalled on billions of smartphones around the world, is bringing a host of updates including eco-friendly routes that promise to reduce CO2 emissions from your trip, a new weather layer that tells you weather conditions where you’re searching, and in-door Live View mapping for places like malls, airports, and transit hubs.

The features should also help Google’s software stay ahead of competitor Apple’s (AAPL) offering. While Apple Maps has managed to catch up in terms of pure navigation, it's still behind in areas like in-app ordering from restaurants.

Going green on the go

One of the most interesting features Google is adding to Maps is its new eco-friendly option. The addition, which will be made available for iOS and Android in the U.S. later this year, offers drivers route options that will result in fewer CO2 emissions than standard routes.

Google says it pulled this off by using insights from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Lab to create a routing model that looks at things like traffic congestion and road incline, two things that can result in vehicles burning more gas.

Maps will then provide users with the route that produced the lowest estimated CO2 emissions. The app will automatically recommend the route with the lowest carbon footprint when its estimated arrival time is comparable to the fastest available route. You may also continue to use the fastest route as your default recommendation if you choose.

In addition to helping cut down on your carbon footprint via your route, Maps will tell you which travel option available in your area is eco-friendly whether that’s via biking or mass transit.

Maps is also adding notifications for low-emissions zones in European countries that restrict the user of certain types of vehicles. The app will now tell you if you’re near such an area, and will route you around it if you’re driving, say, a diesel-powered car, something that is often banned in low-emissions zones.

Indoor Live View and weather forecasts

Maps Live View is already available outdoors, and now the company is making it available for specific indoor locations. Live View uses augmented reality to overlay navigation information on live images of the real world captured using your smartphone’s camera. It can do things like guide you down streets, and point out where businesses are located.

Indoor Live View takes that same experience and brings it indoors. The feature will provide you with detailed information on how to navigate large spaces including airports and malls, complete with whether you need to go up or down a floor. Use Live View in an airport, for instance, and it will tell you how to get to your gate by holding up your phone and using the screen as your camera’s viewfinder.

Google says it’s also adding both weather and air quality overlays for Maps. Now when you search for directions, Maps will provide you with the weather status and outlook for your destination. The company says you’ll see current weather conditions, as well as hourly and weekly forecasts.

Google’s additions to Maps come as vaccines become increasingly available around the world. On Monday, New York became the latest state to announce its plans to open vaccine appointments to individuals over 16 on April 6. California will begin offering vaccines to those 16 and older next month, while Texas has already made the move.

Google’s Maps competes directly with Apple’s Maps. Installed on every iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, Apple Maps has seen significant improvements over the last several years putting it on par with Google Maps in terms of straight up navigation thanks to improved visuals, real-time transit information, and in-door maps. But Google Maps has the benefit of being integrated with the company’s trove of data from other services including the ability to do things like order food from restaurants directly in the app.

The latest updates for Google Maps will begin rolling out immediately and continue throughout the year.

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