New improvements rolling out to Google Maps

Google will be rolling out several new improvements to Maps in the coming weeks to help users get around safely and get things done during the holiday season.

Talking about the new updates, the COVID layer on Android and iOS will be improved to show more information, including all-time detected cases in an area, along with quick links to COVID resources from local authorities.

Google Maps will now help users maintain social distancing with live crowdedness information on Android and iOS globally. Based on real-time feedback from Google Maps users around the world, it will show how crowded a bus, train, or subway line is in real-time.

Image Credit: Google

Further, when users book or order from Google Maps on Android and iOS, they will able to see the live status of takeout and delivery orders along with the expected wait times and delivery fees. This feature will be available in the United States, Canada, Germany, Australia, Brazil and India. Google Maps app users will soon be able to quickly see the status of their restaurant reservation in 70 countries around the world.

Lastly, an early preview of the improved Google Assistant driving mode experience in Google Maps is rolling out to Android users in the U.S. beginning today. The Assistant driving mode helps users get things done such as read and send messages, make calls, and control media with voice while navigating with Google Maps.

Image Credit: Google

"Since the start of the pandemic, we've added nearly 250 new features and improvements to Google Maps to help you adapt to this new normal from live busyness information for millions of places, to the ability to easily see critical health and safety information at a glance. And we're continuing to invest in ways to keep information in Maps fresh, with over 50 million updates made to the map each day," Google wrote in a blog post.

"Even in a pandemic, more than 1 billion people still turn to Google Maps to navigate their new normal and our work is far from done. We're continually working to build new features and services to help all of us emerge from this challenging time stronger than ever," the post further said.