How: The update will happen for all users soon. Why Do You Care: New features like a Saved and Contribute tab will make the app even more useful. The company will add three new tabs along the bottom of the main Maps screen: Saved, Contribute, and Updates. The Saved tab gives you easier access to all the places you’ve saved to see later, while the Contribute tab lets you share your own local knowledge about places on the map. The Update tab will provide a feed from local “experts” and business owners and let you chat directly with businesses. The Commute and Explore tabs will work much the same as they do now, providing you with directions and traffic info, as well as local stuff you might want to check out, respectively. Google Maps also gets a redesigned icon “that reflects the evolution we’ve made mapping the world. It’s based on a key part of Google Maps since the very beginning—the pin—and represents the shift we’ve made from getting you to your destination to also helping you discover new places and experiences,” the company said in its blog post. In addition, navigating with Google Maps will get you a fun party favor: a party-themed car icon to follow your directions with. There’s some new public transit features, too, that let other passengers share temperature, security, and accessibility information, whether there’s a women’s section (in parts of the world that have them), and how many carriages a train has (in Japan) to make sure riders can find a seat. Google’s also planning on updating its Live View walking directions with better distance and directional information for pedestrians. The update should roll out to all Android and iOS users starting Thursday, so keep an eye out when you use Google Maps on your own device. Via: MacRumors
