Google tweaks around with Maps’s navigation UI

Left: Current UI | Right: New UI

Google is constantly changing up its user interface for its apps as its design language changes. One of its latest things is introducing rounder elements to its apps. Google Maps is the newest app to get this treatment. We see the round elements are more or less equal sizes now. Also, the up arrow has been replaced by a draggable slider and the bottom info bar has rounded corners. As Android Police points out, these aren’t major changes but could be the start of a major redesign heading our way soon.

You can play ‘Where’s Waldo’ on Google Maps for the rest of the week

Earlier in March, Google Maps commemorated Mario Day by integrating Mario into Maps. They’re doing the same thing again this time but as an extension of their April Fool’s Day prank. You can play Where’s Waldo on Android, iOS, and desktop versions of Maps. Waldo will pop up when you open the app and you just need to tap on him to start playing the game that’s straight out of the classic children’s books. You’ll be given the opportunity to not just search for him but his friends as well. Once you’ve located him or all of his friends, you’ll be taken to a different level on another part of the planet. Google says there’s even a Google Assistant component to this so you can try asking “Where’s Waldo?” on your Assistant-supported device and see what happens.

Source: The Verge

Google Maps now has wheelchair accessible routes

Google Maps improves its functionality for wheelchair users with its latest feature. The navigation app can now identify routes that are wheelchair-accessible. These routes are useful not just for those who use wheelchairs but also those who are on crutches or have children in strollers with them. The feature comes to a handful of cities at the moment, including London, New York, Tokyo, Mexico City, Sydney, and Boston, but Google promises it’s working with transit agencies and its users input to add this information in other areas.

To access this feature, enter your desired destination into Google Maps and then tap Directions and then select the public transportation icon. And then select Options and then you’d find under Routes, the “wheelchair accessible” option. Google Maps will then show you possible routes you can take.

Source: 9to5Google

Beta version of Google Maps shows that you might soon be able to add or remove places you’ve visited

If you use Google Maps on your mobile phone frequently, you may or may not know that when you check out a specific location, the app logs this under the “Your places” list. If you want to see places you’ve visited before, it’s accessible through that tab, too. Now, if for some reason you want to add locations that aren’t on the list or you want to take some out, Google Maps is testing this out right now. Beta version 9.70 of the app adds these two options. When you select a specific location, it will show you if you’ve been there and when you were there the last time. It can be seen in your timeline as well. And, as mentioned, a Remove option has been added, too.

Some of the other features seen in the APK teardown done by Android Police have seen features like custom shortcuts, movie show times and ticket sales support, as well as native screenshot feature, among others. It’s important to note that some of these features might not show up in the non-beta version but there is also the possibility that it might. Let’s just treat these as a heads up of features you might see in the near future.

Source: Android Authority