Maps - Navigate & Explore logo

Maps - Navigate & Explore for Android

By Google Free Editors' Rating

Editors' Review

shelbybrown Aug 10, 2016

Google Maps for Android provides helpful turn-by-turn navigation -- whether you are driving, on foot, or taking public transit. The transit app notes points of interest while you travel, recommends local businesses, and lets you set multiple stops on a trip.

Pros

Easy to navigate: Open Google Maps and you'll see your current location with surprising accuracy. Click any destination around you, or summon another by entering it manually or speaking into the mic. Click the walking symbol to pull up directions. You can also switch to car, public transportation, bike, or ride service directions. Tap an empty spot on the screen to switch to full-screen view for better visibility. Larger typography makes things like street signs easier to read, and a new color scheme helps you differentiate between natural and constructed features.

Real-time traffic: Google Maps offers a color-coded traffic map: red for gridlock, yellow for slow, and blue for steady. Gray indicates alternate routes. You will also notice slowdown and accident info, courtesy of user-generated data, historical data, incident reports filed on traffic app Waze, and info from local highway authorities. In the interest of efficiency, road outlines have recently been replaced with traffic and transit lines.

Great discovery tool: Tap Explore in the hamburger menu to get drinking and dining recommendations in your vicinity. Google categorizes these under Breakfast, Lunch, Coffee, Dinner, and Drinks in the top rail. Choose one to get groupings such as best, cheap, and newly opened. Select one that piques your interest for contact info, hours, photos, reviews, and menus. You can also search Google Maps for additional services, including gas stations, ATMs, and parking.

Great filtering options: Along with filtering restaurants by price, reviews, and whether they're open now, you can also narrow down dining searches to include only Zagat-rated restaurants. Just type or speak what you're looking for, tap Filter in the lower-right corner, then press Zagat Rated and Apply. You can also tap Filter to narrow down other business searches to include only those with good ratings.

Areas of interest: Google now draws attention to hip areas with lots to do by shading them in orange. Tap one to explore all that they have to offer.

Multiple stop support: If your trip includes multiple destinations, you can finally add several stops and even rearrange them via drag and drop.

Hands-free: Just tap the mic button and speak your location by name or address, or say "Work" or "Home." This feature is particularly useful for drivers, who need to keep their eyes on the road.

Offline maps: If you're on a road to nowhere, this handy feature lets you create and save maps for later access, even when you're without an Internet connection.

Extensive help: The Help & Feedback section in the main menu helps you get started, search and manage contacts, and use quick gestures. But there's also a Tips & Tricks tab that shows you more, like how to save an offline map and how to zoom in and out in multiple ways.

Shake to send feedback: Shake your phone to report a data problem or to send general feedback.

SEE: The 5 Best Transit Apps To Get You There on Time

Cons

Google account required: You must register for a Google account to use Google Maps for Android.

Bottom Line

If you're looking to get from point A to point B to point C with little hassle, there's no better navigation app than Google Maps. Its extensive location info helps you make the most of your experience along the way.

More stories

Google Maps for Android review

Apple Maps vs. Google Maps

Google Maps gets cleaner look, areas of interest

14 Google Maps tips and tricks


Full Specifications

What's new in version 10.1.0

Thanks for using Google Maps! With this release, you can now search for EV charging stations on the map - so you can be confident that your car will be charged and ready for your ride, no matter where you're headed. Become a beta tester: http://goo.gl/vLUcaJ

General

Release November 11, 2018
Date Added November 11, 2018
Version 10.1.0

Operating Systems

Operating Systems Android
Additional Requirements None

Popularity

Total Downloads 168,144
Downloads Last Week 9
Report Software

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Developer's Description

Navigate your world faster and easier with Google Maps. Over 220 countries and territories mapped and hundreds of millions of businesses and places on the map. Get real-time GPS navigation, traffic, and transit info, and explore local neighborhoods by knowing where to eat, drink and go - no matter what part of the world you're in.

Get there faster with real-time updates

- Beat traffic with real-time ETAs and traffic conditions

- Catch your bus, train, or ride-share with real-time transit info

- Save time with automatic rerouting based on live traffic, incidents, and road closures

Discover places and explore like a local

- Discover local restaurant, events, and activities that matter to you

- Know what's trending and new places that are opening in the areas you care about

- Decide more confidently with "Your match," a number on how likely you are to like a place

- Group planning made easy. Share a shortlist of options and vote in real-time

- Create lists of your favorite places and share with friends

- Follow must-try places recommended by local experts, Google, and publishers

More experiences on Google Maps

- Offline maps to search and navigate without an internet connection

- Street View and indoor imagery for restaurants, shops, museums and more

- Indoor maps to quickly find your way inside big places like airports, malls and stadiums

* Some features not available in all countries

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