Plus estimated tolls for all of your summer road trips
If you’re planning a long road trip this summer, you know how essential Google Maps can be. It’s not just about getting you there, of course. From avoiding speed traps and watching out for traffic backups to sharing your location with friends, Maps is a must-have tool on your phone. Today, Google announced a couple of long-requested enhancements for Maps on Android that should make your summer vacation even better.
There’s nothing worse than hitting the road only to realize your route involves tolls. Whether you’re trying to make sure you have enough coins or ensuring you have electronic toll systems set up in your car, knowing how much cash you’ll need to get to your destination can be really helpful.
Starting this month, Google Maps will show estimated toll prices along your route, pulling information directly from whatever agency is in charge of road fees in your area. Factors like the specific time of day and the payment method are taken into account to get the most bang for your buck on your drive. As always, Google continues to offer methods to avoid tolls by changing your route options, but for those that don’t mind paying to get somewhere a little faster, you’ll be able to preview your total cost before you hit the road. This tool is coming to mobile users in the US, Indonesia, India, and Japan to start, with more regions on the way.
Google Maps is also adding extra information to its maps while navigating, bringing it up to par with the competition. Traffic lights and stop signs are the main inclusion here, something Apple added to its Maps app back in iOS 13. It’s an obvious feature, but it’s great that Google finally supports it. Building outlines and areas of interest are coming as well, along with specific road information like widths, shapes, medians, and islands in select cities.
Speaking of iOS, Apple users are getting some improvements this summer too. New pinned trip widgets, direct Apple Watch navigation, and Siri shortcut support for improved voice controls all help bring the Google Maps experience up to par with Apple’s built-in app. Overall, it’s a hefty, long-awaited update, and it couldn’t come at a better time.
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