15 Years Of Google Maps: A New Look & New Features

Happy Birthday, Google Maps! It’s been 15 years since the app launched, and we can barely imagine life without it now. From helping us find our way, to being able to see recommendations nearby, Google Maps is a godsend to many. Here’s what changed.

Credit: Google

Google Maps now has a new look, with content now split between five tabs: Explore, Commute, Saved, Contribute and Updates. More than that, say goodbye to the old Google Maps logo because they now have a new one!

Google is also looking to incorporate AI machine learning in the future for more updated maps with better digital quality. Other cool features include estimated temperatures for commutes based on past feedback from commuters, whether there are women’s carriages available as well as how many carriages are available and more.

This is all made available by riders sharing their experiences by completing short surveys. The feature will start rolling out in March globally.

Some other features that we love are the built-in translation that will have users’ phones voice out the address of a place in the local language and Live View which utilises AR to help users better navigate.

There’s also Group Planning which allows users to easily create a list of places to be shared with friends, as well as the Timeline feature which is really handy when trying to backtrack your steps! And of course, there’s Incognito mode to better protect your privacy and location data.

With all these and more, we can’t wait to see what else Google Maps will come up with in the next 15 years.