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[GK86]

YT video one. Promo video. Verge article link. APK here.

After appearing in the Play store last night, the Google Maps update for Android that was previewed at I/O in May has been unveiled in full. The redesigned maps experience, which we first saw on the iPhone last December, works on both phones and tablets. It follows the same Google design aesthetic that has taken the rest of the company by storm — with information cards, cleaner fonts, and radically fewer buttons and menus. In lieu of difficult-to-understand icons and buttons, the map view simply has a search box, a button to center your view on your location, and a tiny menu button. When you search, information pops up and you can swipe left and right between info cards or alternate routes.

On tablets, the interface is slightly different but just as clean; it more closely matches the look and feel of the Google Maps desktop beta that was released at I/O. Instead of a single swipeable information card at bottom, the tablet gives you a grid of cards more appropriate for the larger screen size. Both versions benefit from the cleaner layout, with the previous version's little-used and ill-conceived menus and options excised in favor of in-map information or information that only appears when you search. They also utilize the new, cleaner map layout that debuted on the desktop version, with easier to read road and location names that intelligently appear when you zoom around.

Zagat reviews are still included alongside user reviews, but Google has standardized its ratings on a five point scale instead of a 30 point scale. Google says that Waze, which the company purchased last month, is not yet integrated in this version. The Zagat information has been expanded to provide local "guides" broken down into five categories: eat, drink, shop, play, and sleep. Google is also beginning to use more of the information it can collect from its users. "Local favorites," for example, show highly-rated places from users who have set their home location in that city, while "Tourist favorites" show the same for people who Google knows are traveling.

Google also says it has improved navigation, presenting alternate routes when you initially search in a easier-to-read format. Traffic incidents will be displayed, so you can see what is causing the snags on your route. Finally, the company claims that it can redirect you when you're in transit if something on your route goes awry.

The new interface does have some slight differences next to December's iPhone update — the menu button has been moved to the lefthand side to better fit with the Android standard of presenting menu options in a lefthand drawer. Unfortunately, on phones that button is still as tiny and hard to hit as it was before, but on tablets its a larger target placed next to the search box.

The other problem with the redesign is that Google (mostly) removed the option to save offline maps — a feature that was only a year old to begin with. Power users still have a way to cache maps locally, however. Daniel Graf, director for Google Maps, tells us that the company's engineers were just as unhappy with the loss of the feature as we were, so they built an Easter egg. When you type in "OK maps" (or "okay maps") into the search box, it will save a cached version of the visible map area locally. It's not as convenient or manageable as proper offline maps, but at least it's an option — assuming you remember it's there. If you were using Latitude as a "Find my Friends" service, that has also been removed. Google will instead be promoting Google+ location sharing.

While Google says that versions for both the iPad and iPhone are coming "soon," the company wouldn't be drawn on whether they had been submitted to Apple for approval. The Android version should be available today in the Google Play store, but it will only work on Android 4.0 and up. It's a much-needed refresh for the design of one of Android's core apps, and hopefully a sign that the rest of Android will be headed in this new, Google Now-esque direction.

More pictures at the verge link.

 

[ComputerMKII]

Yes! Finally!

 

[F#A#Oo]

What's the difference between Maps and Navigation on my android?

 

[yyzjohn]

They took away offline maps??? How am I supposed to use my Nexus 7 as a GPS now?

 

[Mindwipe]

The offline situation is a bit of a shambles.

Also, lack of access to device contacts on iOS is also unmentioned.

 

[MThanded]

Damn they took away offline maps?

I'm not an android user but I would be pissed. They just added that feature recently. Seemed like it was a good edition to compensate for wifi only devices. That's a shame.

 

[Infinite_Daremo]

They took away offline maps??? How am I supposed to use my Nexus 7 as a GPS now?

You can still cache offline maps of an area. Just download them in advance. I have the entire UK mapped.

EDIT: Ok after reading again they apparently have. What do they mean by power users able to cache them?

 

[SimleuqiR]

Really hate how Google rolls out app updates now. It could take up to at least two weeks before the update becomes live for your device. Before, reading about updates would mean they were there to download.

Third-party apps are doing this too.

 

[Nicktendo86]

You can still cache offline maps of an area. Just download them in advance. I have the entire UK mapped.

EDIT: Ok after reading again they apparently have. What do they mean by power users able to cache them?

Just type ok maps into the search bar and it will save the visible map, just tried and it works. The area is quite large as well, just did the whole of London and surrounding areas no probs.

 

[MThanded]

Why would they remove an official feature and leave it in as an Easter egg?

 

[RapidCancel]

Can anyone check for me if they still have the "my places" feature on the new update? I rather not update if it won't allow me to look at my saved maps while on vacation.

 

[Mindwipe]

Why would they remove an official feature and leave it in as an Easter egg?

Apparently they hadn't finished the UI yet and it's coming back eventually.

Still, crappy, and a very silly decision IMO.

 

[yyzjohn]

Just type ok maps into the search bar and it will save the visible map, just tried and it works. The area is quite large as well, just did the whole of London and surrounding areas no probs.

How many offline maps can u save? Like if I want to take a road trip from Toronto down to the US somewhere it's pretty far, can I do that multiple times?

 

[Aiii]

Come on Google, give me that iPad version already

 

[Mindwipe]

Come on Google, give me that iPad version already

Been submitted to Apple and awaiting approval, according to rumours.

It's taken far, far too long though.

 

[Aiii]

Been submitted to Apple and awaiting approval, according to rumours.

It's taken far, far too long though.

Yay rumours, lets hope that's true.

 

[thesoapster]

OK Maps

lol...otherwise, nice update.

 

[liger05]

downloaded and installed the APK on my SIII for 4.2 devices. Its real nice!!

 

[gcubed]

Really hate how Google rolls out app updates now. It could take up to at least two weeks before the update becomes live for your device. Before, reading about updates would mean they were there to download.

Third-party apps are doing this too.

i concur, fuck google for this shit

 

[RS4-]

Installed on my Nexus S with the current CM10, works fine.

Will install later on N7 with the same CFW.

 

[Axalon]

Are Maps and Navigation merged yet? Seriously Google.

 

[yyzjohn]

Are Maps and Navigation merged yet? Seriously Google.

I downloaded the apk on my nexus 7 and the navigation app is gone, so everything is built into maps it seems.

Tested a route, why is it showing greyed out steps on a black box? I can't even read it.

 

[Visualante2]

Wish I had a 4.0+ phone. Missing out on all this new stuff.

 

[yyzjohn]

Is this normal?

 

[GK86]

Really hate how Google rolls out app updates now. It could take up to at least two weeks before the update becomes live for your device. Before, reading about updates would mean they were there to download.

Third-party apps are doing this too.

i concur, fuck google for this shit

Download the apk?

 

[bcl0328]

Really hate how Google rolls out app updates now. It could take up to at least two weeks before the update becomes live for your device. Before, reading about updates would mean they were there to download.

Third-party apps are doing this too.

could just download the apk

 

[Battersea Power Station]

Are Maps and Navigation merged yet? Seriously Google.

They've always been merged.

 

[SimleuqiR]

i concur, fuck google for this shit

I hate to rely on Adroid Police to update my Google apps. It's insane. Is it that they have not beta tested the apps enough that they expect some major issue to prop up, and thus the reason for such a slow rollout?

I get the wait for OS updates. I just don't get why apps are being treated the same way.

could just download the apk

I can, from a third party source. But the point is I shouldn't have to.

 

[snacknuts]

downloaded and installed the APK on my SIII for 4.2 devices. Its real nice!!

Hm, I also have an S3 and it wouldn't install because there was an error "parsing the package." I haven't tried the 4.1 build yet.

 

[Copons]

I don't know about the app, but this new web version works like crap.

It's impossible to share a map, at least not easily... if I want to share the street view of a guy tripping in front of my house, I just don't give a damn to create a custom embeddable map...

And the fact they disabled right click and drag and drop (except for scrolling the map, of course)... so now its incredibly difficult to street view somewhere (and if you try to left click on a road covered by a inactive directions path.. it just activate that, so you cannot street view in the middle of an alternative path) and impossible to move around a point.

Man, how much I hate it.
And it's a real pity, because I think aesthetically it's actually great.

 

[Massive Nights]

I don't know about the app, but this new web version works like crap.

It's impossible to share a map, at least not easily... if I want to share the street view of a guy tripping in front of my house, I just don't give a damn to create a custom embeddable map...

And the fact they disabled right click and drag and drop (except for scrolling the map, of course)... so now its incredibly difficult to street view somewhere (and if you try to left click on a road covered by a inactive directions path.. it just activate that, so you cannot street view in the middle of an alternative path) and impossible to move around a point.

Man, how much I hate it.
And it's a real pity, because I think aesthetically it's actually great.

It really is awful, and it makes the fan in my Macbook go insane.

 

[gcubed]

I hate to rely on Adroid Police to update my Google apps. It's insane. Is it that they have not beta tested the apps enough that they expect some major issue to prop up, and thus the reason for such a slow rollout?

I get the wait for OS updates. I just don't get why apps are being treated the same way.



I can, from a third party source. But the point is I shouldn't have to.

exactly, its an app update, there is no reason to stagger it out "over a few weeks".

 

[Copons]

It really is awful, and it makes the fan in my Macbook go insane.

You're the second I hear about this issue.
I'm on a mid 2009 15'' MBP and no insane spinning here, but everything feels extremely slow and clunky (especially when switching to satellite/3D view). At first I thought it was my connection, but then I tried rolling back to classic maps and everything was as smooth as always.

 

[Midnight Moon]

Okay I have a Galaxy 3 on AT&T, how do I update it to a newer android version?

Sincerely, n00b

 

[itxaka]

Here is hope it works better than on desktop

 

[Vyer]

The redesigned maps experience, which we first saw on the iPhone last December,

Damn, I hadn't realized this wasn't available on Android before now. Doesn't seem like the iOS rollout was that long ago.

 

[Copons]

Wait, it's like they heard me complaining...

Now i am actually able to drag and drop stuff on the map (web version), but I'm sure 5 or so hours ago it didn't work! :-/

 

[AranhaHunter]

Are they integrating Waze tech into this already or no?

 

[GK86]

I can, from a third party source. But the point is I shouldn't have to.

exactly, its an app update, there is no reason to stagger it out "over a few weeks".

1- click link.
2- click apk.
3- install apk.
4- save yourself weeks of complaining.

Are they integrating Waze tech into this already or no?

Not yet.

 

[Mindwipe]

1- click link.
2- click apk.
3- install apk.
4- save yourself weeks of complaining.

Google really shouldn't be encouraging people to go fishing third party sources given there's a known signing exploit that hasn't been patched yet vulnerable to exactly this sort of attack.

I'm not saying Android Police are dodgy, but Google's attitude to this is silly.

 

[RuGalz]

Among other things, I'm so freaking annoyed that they removed the option to turn on the zoom buttons. It makes single hand operating the app impossible. 1 Star until they fix this shit!

 

[Marty Chinn]

They took away offline maps??? How am I supposed to use my Nexus 7 as a GPS now?

Did this work? I brought my tablet with me to Hawaii to use as a GPS, and it couldn't give me turn by turn directions without a network connection even though I had cached the map. Offline maps seemed pointless to me at that point. I even complained to my friend and he said that's just how offline maps works.

 

[Junior Mint]

Among other things, I'm so freaking annoyed that they removed the option to turn on the zoom buttons. It makes single hand operating the app impossible. 1 Star until they fix this shit!

Umm do the double tap and slide.

 

[RuGalz]

Umm do the double tap and slide.

I guess that's better than nothing but having dedicated button is still faster especially when the phone is on a dock...

 

[BigJonsson]

Reroute sounds good but not that practical if you don't have a hands free way of doing it

 

[painey]

the 'new' google maps is absolute wank. I got into the beta and find myself loading up IE with a non logged in Google account to use the old version.

 

[yyzjohn]

Did this work? I brought my tablet with me to Hawaii to use as a GPS, and it couldn't give me turn by turn directions without a network connection even though I had cached the map. Offline maps seemed pointless to me at that point. I even complained to my friend and he said that's just how offline maps works.

As long as you start the route while on wifi connection then you can continue using the route with the GPS. Tried it and it works, only thing is if you stop and try to restart or re-route you need a network connection. Once you're already using it you don't need the network, only the GPS.

 

[Shambles]

Removed offline maps? Classic Google blunder. Screw that, just took maps off of auto-update.

I can, from a third party source. But the point is I shouldn't have to.

Uhhh you don't have to. Just have more patience than an 8 year old and wait for it to be pushed to your device.

 

[Marty Chinn]

As long as you start the route while on wifi connection then you can continue using the route with the GPS. Tried it and it works, only thing is if you stop and try to restart or re-route you need a network connection. Once you're already using it you don't need the network, only the GPS.

So you can only go to one location and then not get directions back? That seems pretty limiting.

 

[hoverboarder]

Dislike how there is no longer a Navigation app. Never used Maps. And in navigation, it doesn't look like I can choose route options? (avoid tolls, alternate route, etc.)