Google has announced the release of several new Maps features, including additions to its augmented reality (AR) Live View. Live View is now available in London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, San Francisco, and Tokyo. Users can tap the camera icon while using Google Maps in one of these cities, which will show live turn-by-turn directions to nearby stores and other places like coffee shops, banks and ATMs.
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“With AR-powered directions and arrows, you can see what direction they’re in and how far away they are — and even spot places that aren’t in your immediate view (like a clothing store around the block) to get a true sense of the neighbourhood at a glance,” Google said. “Beyond showing you where places are, you can see key information about each spot overlaid — like whether or not it’s open, how busy it is, what the price range is, and if the Google Maps community rates it highly.”
There are also new additions to electric vehicle infrastructure information. Google Maps will now also search for charging stations with fast charging of 50kW or higher if they need a quicker battery refill. There will be a new “fast charge” filter below the search bar, which filters out the slower charging stations.
The company has also added more accessibility support for people in wheelchairs. Users can now activate the “Accessible Places” setting in the app, which is now available globally after being trailed in Australia, Japan, the UK, and US.
“You’ll see a wheelchair icon on the business profile if it has a wheelchair-accessible entrance, and the same icon with a strikethrough if its a non-accessible place,” Google explained. “You can also see if the place has accessible seating, restrooms and parking.”
