Street View and walking directions come to Google Maps for mobile

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 | 8:06 AM

This July, Street View went international for the Tour de France, and in August, expanded coverage to Japan and Australia. Now, Street View is coming to another new frontier: your phone.


Today we're launching a new version of Google Maps for mobile with the same street-level imagery available on desktop. Wondering if the restaurant in your search results is the one you're thinking of? Just click "Street View" after your search to see the storefront. Unsure about a complicated intersection in your directions? Use Street View to see a photo, so there's no mistaking your turn. You can also launch Street View from any address where we have photography, or simply by clicking on the map and selecting "Street View". You can browse Street View overlaid on the map or in full screen, rotate your view to see more of your surroundings, and move along the street.

We've also added other features to help you search for and get to businesses and locations. You can now read business reviews, so you'll know if it's actually worth driving across town to that store. And once you decide where to go, you can get there on foot using the same walking directions (beta) we recently launched on desktop. Finally, we hope you'll notice significant improvements in search speed with this version, as well as better location accuracy in all versions thanks to this week's My Location update.

Check out this video to see the new release of Google Maps for mobile in action:



The newest Google Maps for mobile is available now for BlackBerry and many Java-enabled phones. To download it to your phone, visit google.com/gmm from your phone's web browser or on the desktop. We're working on bringing all these new features to other platforms as well, so stay tuned.

Posted by Michael Siliski, Product Manager

54 comments:

Brian Ober (ober37) said...

Is the default download signed??

On previous version of Java Google Maps, one would have to attempt the download 5-6 times and eventually the downloaded file would be properly signed.

If this is not fixed, can you provide a link to the signed jar file?

thanks!
Brian

Jared Smith said...

What about the Symbian version? When will it be updated with these nifty new features?

Jerry said...

I take it you won't be able to talk about integration in the iPhone google map app right?

Anonymous said...

This v.2.3.1 on my Nokia 6680 still doesn't give the location (says: feature not available on this phone). Operator is Orange France.
Help menu shows: myl: N/A (I assume myl stands for My Location).

Jeremy said...

Oh please add something similar to the iPhone Map App...

Unknown said...

iPhone, iPhone, iPhone! Please add it soon!!!! (Also, where do I get my own personal pegman?)

Matt said...

you should make it so users can upload better pictures of the streetview if something has changed.

Chris said...

And Windows Mobile?

Saad said...

Hey, don't forget the Symbian users, please.

Dan said...

How about some gps love for the s.e. tm506!

Chris said...

Says "Sorry, Google maps does not work on your Research In Motion" when I try to download on my AT&T Pearl 8100. :-(

Olivier P. said...

Still no My Location feature on the RAZR V3xx. It was there and working just fine back in June....

Ahmed said...

i cant even find the download link in Curve 8320

Unknown said...

iPhone please............

Christopher Davis said...

On my Sony Ericsson W710, after downloading the application and trying to run it, I get an error: "The application uses too much memory."

The previous version worked well, including the cell-tower based "My Location" (once I updated the firmware to the current version).

Is there at least a download link for the previous version, so that I can get a functioning Google Maps on my phone again?

Cacti said...

Helloooo! The iPhone, puhleez!

Alexander Tarasul said...

Enable integration option please.
It would be great to have BlackBerry Google Maps recognize and underscore addresses in browser and email (both BB and GMail) in same way as BB recognize and underscore phone numbers.
Clicking on underscored address would jump me into Google Maps.

Unknown said...

I have a signed version 2.0.3 on my RAZR v3xx. My Location works for me.

When I try to download the update, I'm guessing that it's not signed. The phone says "Authorization error" and aborts the install.

Please-o-Please sign the Moto RAZR version!

smokeonit said...

90% of google maps is used on iphones... why is the iphone google maps app the last to receive updates???

i don't get it???

on the other hand: why is WPS locating not available on google maps mobile on NONE iphone devices??? GSM locating is not very precise... and not ever phone has GPS built in, and GPS sucks up the battery pretty fast anyways...

Unknown said...

The whole version number thing is very confusing with GMM. You ought to have a matrix displaying which versions and which features are available to which phones.

If I download from my Nokia N95, it gives me version 2.02(0). This doesn't seem to have the new features. But how can I check whether or not that really is the current version, and whether or not it supposed to include the latest features?

idemest said...

v2.3.1 is not loading my Blackberry 9000 (Bold). Previous versions were not working. Thanks to post a fix.

Alex said...

Is google getting pay-offs from RIM? Why are mobile maps features generally released for Blackberry before any other platform? Granted, iPhone also gets preferential treatment because of it's good ajax support, but this should have no relevance on mobile maps. How hard is it to release these versions simultaneously?

anassband said...

Similar to a previous comment, I have a SE (K610i) and it says, "The (new) application is using too much memory."

The previous version worked fine. Please advise...

Cheers!

Desmo Dave said...

I can see the Transit stops (bus stop icon) on my Google Maps iPhone but there are no links to the transit data. iPhone moblie transit please.

Robert Andrews said...

One minute, my comment was here; the next, it's gone.
So I'll repeat - only the old version is available for my UK N95, one of the most popular handsets there is.
I want Street View.

Mikehill33 said...

I installed this on my Curve, and didn't really find street view easily identifiable.

There was no icon or clue telling me it was available. I had to guess and then invoke and additional menu, only to get a "checking to see if street view is available".

Cool feature, but I am not going to play a guessing game each time, I simply wont use it.

kegelman said...

Please provide this update to iPhone.
Thanks.

lbeck37 said...

I installed GMM on my Sprint Mogul 6800 Windows Mobile 6.1 and the GMM version says 2.2.0.19 but I don't see the new features. Is 2.2.0.19 the latest for Win Mobile?

Der Merzmensch said...

Which version of googlemaps mobile contains Street View?

I have HTC 3450 touch (or Elf) and even I installed version 2.2.0.19. But I cannot find Street View function.

thanx!

Unknown said...

what a bummer
I have a Blackberry 8320 that had ver 2.2.2 and voice search worked great...

I upgraded to this version to get street level and now pushing the voice button goes straight to voice dialing....did voice search just go away?

warder said...

A completely unrelated piece of product feedback, but certainly google maps feedback, and i was reminded of it from this video:

Use of the word 'here'.

You look up bikes and click on Mikes Bikes. You are offered options "Directions to here" "Directions from here".

Here is a very confusing word... because when I am standing "here", do I want Directions from here? Or perhaps I want Directions to here?

I really want "directions to Mikes Bikes."

A small bit of confused user feedback!

Dan Bencsik said...

is this available for the instinct yet? I would really like to use google services on my instinct and would love to know when to expect it.

Unknown said...

It doesn't work yet for my cellphone. Google seems to have placed an older version online: 2.0.3

When I'm attempting to download, my Samsung F700 (in Holland) / Qbowl already mentions "older version"

And I don't find any new features indeed...

Weird.

Jugtree said...

iPhone, please.

Unknown said...

Google Maps is probably the best mobile application that I never use. While it's great to see the Street View updates, GMM still lacks GPS location awareness available on the Sprint network.

This is using version 2.3.1 with the Samsung SPH-M610.

Other free applications seem to be able to access the Sprint GPS APIs without issues - Microsoft Live Search (Java client version), Where, and Mobile Gmaps are a few examples. Each of these is significantly quicker to use when looking up information while on the go.

Is there any particular reason why GMM is unable to access this data?

Unknown said...

Dear Google,
PLEASE UPDATE IPHONE 3G APP

Thanks again your friend,
Planet Earth

comeoutandplaaay said...

iphone.

M. Olislaegers said...

Hmm.. still only version 2.2.0.11 available for my N95

Dan Bencsik said...

does anyone at google actually read these comments?

Unknown said...

Please add this function for iPhone 3G!!!!

Thank you for your work!

JB said...

Where can I find the file? I have a windows mobile phone with java. Google always tries to make me download the .cab

SARA said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

SARA said...

NYC Street Test of the new features:

Unknown said...

I'd like to cast another vote for adding Google Transit to the maps app. It seems a logical extension -- and it would be easier to use (especially if we could store frequently-used origin-destination combinations so we didn't have to enter addresses every time) than the web page.

Talmage said...

iPhone, Please. Please??? PLEASE??? :)

Unknown said...

does this version even works for sony ericsson phone? I still get the "use too much memory" error.

The Fuzz said...

iPhone! Please

Unknown said...

echo on Iphone.

Shakana said...

I am using Wm6 with google maps & a gps 20c GPS receiver. Google maps says that it can't get access to the satellite data yet my gps device indicates that is is receiving satellite data via the LCD. Any ideas on what may be the proble?

Menhir said...

It might just be my phone, but is anybody noticing a significant battery drain on BlackBerry after upgrading to GMM 2.3.1?

I have a BlackBerry 8800 from AT&T and ever since I upgraded to GMM 2.3.1, my phone dies within 3/4 of a day with barely any talk but e-mail is on as always.

I uninstalled 2.3.1 and the battery life is just fine now. Any feedback is appreciated.

Unknown said...

There is an interesting talk called "Global Mobile:Tools for companies on the world stage" at Stanford Univ. on Oct 21st, where Device Anywhere, MoBlast and KPCB's Cyriac Roeding are on the panel. This may be a good venue for some of you to ask them questions about how to build and test applications on mobile platforms that can run anywhere in the world. Goto www.vlab.org for more details.

Stephen said...

On SE W850i. GMM 2.3.1 giving "Application uses too much memory".

Anywhere to download the old version?

Unknown said...

try getjar.com

I get old version back there

Unknown said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.