Google Maps for Android Helps You Find the Right Place, Catch a Train, and Add Latitude Friends
Tuesday, June 22, 2010 | 10:55 AM
Hot off the presses, Google Maps for Android version 4.3 has added a couple new features to help you quickly choose the right place to grab dinner, catch the next train, and find friends to add in Latitude.
Have you ever had to make a split decision for dinner plans while on the go? Now, you can see a snapshot of what people are saying about places right on search result pages. Instead of poring through full reviews, you can start by looking at what the most frequently mentioned aspects about a place are, such as food, service, atmosphere, or anything else people keep mentioning. Just like on Place Pages for your computer, the color-coded bar gives an overview of how positively people are talking about any individual aspect. Tap one to see more details like the actual review snippets. Whether you’re looking for top-notch service or a vibrant ambiance, you can now pick just the right place to go.
You’ll also find a new addition to public transit station pages: upcoming schedules. Select any transit station icon directly from the map and open its page by tapping the window. You’ll find a handy list of the next departure times for any subways, trains, or buses that are leaving from that station where transit info is available.
In Google Latitude, we wanted to make it even easier for you to find friends and family with whom you’d like to share your location. Right at the bottom of your Latitude friend list, you’ll be able to quickly start sharing your location with long lost friends, loved ones, and others from your Google Contacts. Add any suggested friends by tapping the + icon and sending them a sharing request. Tap the x and they’ll be dropped from your suggested friends list. Don’t worry -- you can always add them later by choosing “Add friends” from the Latitude menu.
Get the latest version of Maps by searching for Google Maps in Android Market from Android 1.6+ phones. If you’re reading this on your phone, just tap here. Version 4.3 is available in all the countries and languages where Maps is currently available.
Visit our Help Center to learn more, ask questions in our Help Forum, or give us suggestions and vote on other people’s on the Mobile Product Ideas page.
Labels: android, google latitude, google maps for mobile, Mobile Blog, transit
32 comments:
Unknown said...
Good Job :-)
June 22, 2010 at 12:46 PM
Unknown said...
First I thought all three features are combined under one screen! Then realized they all needs to be accessed separately!
How about integrate these features together? For example, when I pull a location of interest I would like to see the transit information and the friends/family info under each result so I can interact with all these features without leaving the place on the map I am thinking of going! Did I made it clear? Well I am sure you googlers can pick up when I am talking about!
Bottom line, I love the work you guys do and want to see your products coming out shining!
June 22, 2010 at 1:10 PM
Matt said...
I noticed that Maps is using the cloud-to-device permission now. What's that for?
June 22, 2010 at 1:41 PM
Marton said...
I don't see the Maps app in Market. What shall I do?
June 22, 2010 at 1:52 PM
Unknown said...
Is the Public Transit Times feature going to be pushed out to other international locations such as the UK.
June 22, 2010 at 1:56 PM
XI said...
That's awesome... but could you please fix the lack of deleting history? It's been an issue since day one. kthxbai
June 22, 2010 at 2:09 PM
Chris said...
We can also use navigation in Google Maps with this update, that is another great feature.
June 22, 2010 at 4:36 PM
Unknown said...
I swear to God, if Google Maps on my Droid doesn't stop suggesting I add the same people on my contact list that I've already rejected, I'm going to sign out of Latitude and never use it again.
June 22, 2010 at 5:31 PM
SLeepdepD said...
I like Latitude, but the picture attached to My Location takes up so much space I can't see the roads around me. How do I get it to go away?
June 22, 2010 at 7:43 PM
cnonline said...
Google maps 4.3 update. I was very happy to see the update on the market. Right away, I installed the update. When I tapped the nearest transit service from my location, it showed only outbound service, there was no way to see the inbound service. At some transit places for bus/train/subway, only buses are shown or only trains are shown and not all. I used google maps earlier to find out the next schedule departure by tapping the transit place, then tapping "Transit service at this place". At that time it showed me all sort of service incl. inbound/outbound/bus/subway. I assume the update is not completely working. I am talking about boston area.
June 22, 2010 at 8:29 PM
Unknown said...
Why does this version need permission to record audio? The previous version did voice search fine without that permission, so I assume it is needed for something else.
June 22, 2010 at 8:41 PM
Unknown said...
Does not work on Motorola Droid running froyo ..any suggestions? Update downloads but fails to onstall
June 22, 2010 at 8:49 PM
Gil said...
on my Desire when I click the here link it shows that the item cannot be found and in my market app there's no update for maps
June 23, 2010 at 1:30 AM
fm said...
What about bookmarking or being able to star locations directly from android (moto droid here)?
June 23, 2010 at 2:39 AM
Marty said...
show public transit only if actually available that day, or better, within the next hour or half-hour.
June 23, 2010 at 7:33 AM
Still said...
Hi guys;
When it will be available to Brazilian market? I have one Motorola Droid and when I click on google maps, I saw no update available and I saw that I have the version 4.2.0.
[]'s,
Still
June 23, 2010 at 7:34 AM
Still said...
I forgot to mention that my Droid is running Android 2.0.
[]'s,
Still
June 23, 2010 at 7:35 AM
sbrudenell said...
The transit listing is awesome!
The bus schedules in Pittsburgh are not posted at bus stops. Before now, the only way I could get the schedules was to download a series of poorly-exposed PDF files from Port Authority's website (and the only reasonable way to get at these was to Google search for them from my Google phone).
Now I can get at the schedules directly without any nonsense.
It's hilarious that a company in Mountain View, CA is providing me with a MUCH better local service than the city I'm paying to do it. :)
June 23, 2010 at 7:55 AM
Unknown said...
How about adding the "send" feature like the desktop version? Being able to send stuff to my Car gps is neat, but from mobile would be AWESOME
June 23, 2010 at 11:34 AM
Still said...
Hi guys;
I have found he map's update. Thanks!!!
[]'s,
Still
June 24, 2010 at 9:09 AM
Anonymous said...
how come we're not seeing this for the iPhone?
June 24, 2010 at 5:42 PM
PaulE said...
an even better feature would be an option to send a location (and/or directions) from the Google Maps app on my computer to the phone without the need to resort to emailing myself.
Also nice, would be to have my save places (from the normal google maps) show up in the mobile version. So, I don't have to carry paper to re-search everytime.
June 25, 2010 at 6:19 PM
Unknown said...
Since downloading Google Maps version 4.305 on my Motorola Droid running Android version 2.1, it is constantly "search for GPS". Now navigation does not work, even after I uninstalled the update. Is there a fix out there?
June 26, 2010 at 4:53 PM
oem said...
I don't know if anybody from google reads these comments or if anybody are aware of error reporting. But I have noticed at least two very 'dangerous' navigation errors:
The first seems to be connected with turning, when there are more than one lane e.g. one for a right turn and one for straight/left turn. The program will/can then verbally tell you to 'keep left' in the straight/left turn lane and then suddenly tell you to turn right. Dangerous if you trust navigation too much :-)
The other error tells you to go straight in a crossing and then making a u-turn followed by a right turn, - in stead of just turning left in a crossing between two streets.
Both errors I can connect to specific geographic addresses.
June 29, 2010 at 1:10 AM
Unknown said...
The navigation saved my life this weekend. I like the female voice but would it be too greedy of me to ask if the voices can be configured? This is one of the reasons I considered buying a Tom Tom. Darth Vader telling you where to go is kind of cool. Perhaps we could add some Peter Griffin to guide us? Cheers.
June 29, 2010 at 8:40 AM
Unknown said...
Is this or will it be available for the Blackberry Tour? I was traveling with a friend and she had this on her Droid and it was awesome.
July 1, 2010 at 9:32 AM
Unknown said...
This is great but can you please, please, please, add the ability to drop pins in Android Google Maps. I was able to do this on my old WM phone, on my iPad, why I cant do it on my Google Android phone... anyways please add it!!!!!!!!!!
July 2, 2010 at 8:38 AM
Unknown said...
Please share how we can disable this utterly broken "Suggested friends" 'feature' in Latitude.
See http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Google+Mobile/thread?tid=6e24edd3053cd75c&hl=en&fid=6e24edd3053cd75c00048a6a1f38a1a4 as well.
Changes like that are evil (what was your company motto again?), especially if there's no way to
a) turn them off (off by default would be better/best)
b) downgrade this application to a version that worked well (without it)
July 2, 2010 at 9:34 AM
Unknown said...
I am going to ask this again since the other people who asked were ignored. Why can I not find this in the android marketplace? When I search I get a messagee that it can not be found, or that it does not exist. C'mon Google, you can't find your own software, and I'm supposed to use you to find other stuff? Then you ignore request for help to find your stuff. I thought AT&T was bad for blocking half the stuff I've tried to install (yes I am already mad about the marketplacee). Google does not block apps, they just can't find them.
I guess I am runnung the wrong version of android (1.6), or something, or AT&T has blocked it, because of their navigator app ($5/mo).
July 2, 2010 at 11:29 AM
Aris said...
Make Google maps store maps locally on the
phone. It does not need to re-download all
the maps all the time for no reason, is is too much to ask?
July 3, 2010 at 7:05 PM
kpo said...
Mobile company
mobile
July 5, 2010 at 4:45 AM
Unknown said...
U r doing a very well job bt still I want more and more info about Micromax mobile.Because i want to buy the best cellphone of micromax.
bpo
July 5, 2010 at 4:59 AM
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