Why it matters to you
For people in India, finding the best way to get from Point A to Point B has never been easier thanks to a Google Maps update that makes it possible to access the tool offline.
Google Maps users in India are getting some special treatment, and it all begins this week. As per a new blog post from the tech giant, Google Maps is rolling out a new home screen “specifically designed for people in India” for Android. That means that the directionally challenged in India (or anyone who just wants a bit of assurance in getting from Point A to Point B) will now see a few new shortcuts on their Google Maps home screen once they update their app. Moreover, Google says that it’s making sure that this new home screen loads quickly so that folks in India can find their way around, even if their connections occasionally get lost.
“Now when you fire up your Google Maps app, you’ll instantly see a directions card with different modes of transportation,” wrote Cathay Bi, Product Manager Google Maps. “Whether you’d like to take the bus to Connaught Place in New Delhi or you are planning to go by foot to a new mall that just opened nearby, you can start planning your route with a single tap. And if you’d like to access a certain route while you’re on the go without using data, you can save the route to be used offline.”
Also included in the Google Maps India revamp are a number of icons that draw users’ attention to other useful features, like satellite imagery of destinations, real-time information about traffic, and details about public transportation lines. Moreover, Google has made it possible for users in India to save a specific area of a map for use offline.
“We hope this new home screen provides a much more intuitive and faster experience for people in India,” Bi concluded. “The Maps team will continue to evolve our products to make them useful no matter where you go or what you do, especially for the millions of people coming online for the first time.”