Google Maps turns 15, gets new icon and UI tweaks

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Google has been striving to make Maps more useful for users regardless if they’re traveling locally or around the world. Maps has become a key tool for finding the best routes, avoiding construction, exploring new places near you, and more. Google is celebrating Maps’ 15th birthday with a new logo for the application and a few new features.

With the new update, the Explore, Commute, Saved, Contribute, and Updates options are now tabs along the bottom of the Maps app, making it easier for users to get to. Explore and Commute were already at the bottom prior to this new update but adding in more tabs makes other features more visible.

new layout for google maps showing 5 tabs
Explore, Commute, Saved, Contribute, and Updates tabs

Also included with this update will be a new Maps icon that Google states, “reflects the evolution we’ve made mapping the world.” Google’s team is keeping the celebration going by having a limited time party-themed car icon while you’re traveling.

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“We’re also updating our look with a new Google Maps icon that reflects the evolution we’ve made mapping the world. It’s based on a key part of Google Maps since the very beginning—the pin— and represents the shift we’ve made from getting you to your destination to also helping you discover new places and experiences.”

Google blog

Crowdsourcing is nothing new to Google. Recently gathered information based on transit data that Maps users took for a survey has been added to the app. The new information will let users know about the temperature, accessibility, women’s section (where applicable), security, and the number of carriages (Japan only) available on public transit.

Google updating its Maps icon makes just about all their main applications uniformed with Google’s new icon style. What do you readers think about Google updating the Maps icon and celebrating 15 years in the making with new features? Let us know in the comments below or on TwitterFacebook, or MeWe.

Source: Google

Last Updated on February 3, 2021.

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