New features & new icons appear on Google Maps, celebrating its 15th anniversary

To celebrate the 15th anniversary of Google Maps, which appeared on February 8, 2005, Google has added 'New Features & Icons'.

Google Maps is turning 15! Celebrate with a new look and features
https://blog.google/products/maps/maps-15th-birthday/

In the updated Google map, five tabs 'Explore', 'Commute', 'Saved', 'Contribute' and 'Updates' are newly displayed at the bottom of the map as shown in the following image. The 'Explore' tab is a conventional Google map function that displays the location of food facilities and stations on the map.

The “Commute” tab allows real-time traffic information and search for alternative routes to optimize daily commuting.

'Saved' is a tab for the ' List of places ' function provided in the conventional Google Maps. He says that he can not only display the spots he has saved, such as a bakery or a famous restaurant, but also has a function that tells him 'recommended spots' based on where he went.

The 'Contribute' tab allows you to send information such as roads, addresses, and store reviews to Google Maps and share useful information. The Contribute tab allows you to provide your own knowledge of 'unknown places' for others.

Updates is a tab that allows you to browse recommended spots from local information magazines, such as local travel guides and The Infatuation .

Public transport information has been enhanced in addition to five new tabs. The new Google Map shows the temperature inside public transportation, the presence of a wheelchair entrance, priority seats, surveillance cameras, women-only vehicles, etc., whether security guards are on board, and Information on how well they are being followed. ' The above information will be added in order by providing information from users who have used the public transportation in the past.

In addition, Google has announced that it will expand the range of offerings and add new functions within a few months for the 'Live View' navigation function that utilizes augmented reality (AR), which was launched in 2019. The live view function is as follows, if you change the direction so that you go around the whole while shooting the surroundings with the camera ...

The direction and distance of the destination are displayed in AR.

The live view function can be used from the button with the red frame of the following image, but the available area is limited at the time of article creation.

In addition, the icons on Google Maps have been renewed to commemorate the 15th anniversary. The new icon is the shape of a 'pin', an important element of Google Maps, and the color scheme is a combination of the Google logo color.

Also, Google Japan is celebrating its 15th anniversary, publishing an article reflecting the history of Google Maps.

Google Japan Blog: 15 Years of Google Maps