A Google Maps update will be arriving shortly on your Android device. Once updated, your location searches from your PC browser will sync seamlessly with your mobile device at a faster pace, so that you can find info you’ve searched for in the past or even moments ago. All you have to do is sign into Google Maps and make sure your web history is enabled to get these new search and directions histories.
To see more history with this new feature set, you can go into the “Search” or “Directions” tab under My Places. Under these sections, previous places and businesses that you searched for will show up as suggestions to save you time and energy.
For those not on Google Now, you can also set “Home” and “Work” locations so that you can quickly find directions from whichever dark alley you have wandered down. I mention Google Now because it suggests directions to work or home automatically, but this should make the feature essentially available to everyone.
Update: The update is live in the Play store! They also tossed in a cool new single-handed zoom. Double tap with a finger, hold and drag your finger.
Via: Google Lat Long (It’s live now!)
Google does not care if you cannot get your maps icon back on your home screen. They also do care if your navigation icon is missing. Even though “a googleplex” of people have been having this problem, GOOGLE would rather you go switch to the iPhone, than actually take it upon themselves to fix the problem. RAZR with ICS.
R.I.p. latitude shortcut
After updating, my maps shortcut disappeared on my GS3. Happen to anyone else?
Yep, same here. Navigation icon disappeared (I guess because they rolled it into Maps) and the Maps icon disappeared, then came back, then dropped off again. It’s a PITA to get to Maps now because I can’t get the icon to add to a screen – it doesn’t show in the Apps menu on my RAZR, and I don’t have any other way to add it. Now I have to launch Maps from the Latitudes widget or from the Google Play store. Lame.
I just got the update on my Galaxy SIII from the Play Store.
They have got route options working fine: look further.
One thing I’ve been wanting since day one of Google Nav…the ability to say “Navigate to Joe Smith’s house”.
Why is it that I can say “call Joe Smith” and yet it doesn’t work for navigation? His address is saved in the same place as his phone number! That would be so handy! Hopefully we’ll see it soon :/
This has always been working for me on my T-Mobile G2 running Gingerbread. it only works if you have the address saved under “John Smith’s” contact info.
Actually, it doesn’t work on the current Galaxy Nexus. If John Smith has all contact info filled out, it simply won’t work. I’ve tried a billion voice command combinations, but it won’t do it.
eg. “Navigate to..”
“…John Smith”
“…John Smith home”
“…John Smith’s house”
“…John Smith address” and so on.
Use Google Maps, press search button, and the microphone is up near the search space.
A Google Maps update on the day iOS6 is rolled out and effectively removes Google Maps from i*hones along with YouTube? Excellent!
Comment 7 by sdmar works, but follow the directions exactly. I tried dragging Google Maps and VZ Navigator from the Widgets, but that DID NOT work. Do what sdmar said, click “ALL APPS” instead of “WIDGETS”. Find the Map, VZN, or whatever other appl. you are looking for. Drag it to an open spot. THIS METHOD WORKS! Must be another quirk with the updated ICS operating system. Thanks sdmar!
Comment 7 by sdmar…@gmail.com, Sep 20, 2012
found it …. hit the apps button…hit upper left marked downloaded…next to widgets menu…. opens menu… click all apps ….maps is in there… drag to your screen of choice
I like how I Google search a business or location on my desktop and my GNex instantly notifies me on directions how to get there and how long it will take
+GoogleNow
#
Is it just me, or is Google Now painfully slow pulling up? I’m on CM10, but it has been slow on every ROM I have been on. Searching was super fast, then got painfully slow with Google Now. I turned it off for now. Others having that issue? It works great on my Nexus 7 though.
Same with me. Sucks starting it up on my G-Nex.
Have you tried Sourcery? Now has been very snappy with 2.2 and 2.3
I skipped the last update(s) since they changed the latitude login / logout settings for fear it would be a battery drain. Has anyone had any problems along those lines?
Woot I can remove the stupid home contact from my phone now.
Why have they not freaking added route options to directions in maps? Navigation can give you different route options, but directions can’t?
I also am unsure why we can’t add additional destinations. It would make it a whole lot easier to plan a trip to different stores or different locations. It’s available on the web… why not the phone?
Yup, Maps on Android is missing a bunch of stuff. It’s great if you want to just look up a place and get direction to that place. But if you want different routes, or you want to change up the route manually, or you want to added waypoints or whatever, you’re out of luck.
Are you aware of any other GPS apps that are superior (paid or otherwise)? I’d really like something to supplement sometimes.
I really don’t think so. Even with its shortcoming, Google Maps is still the king of the hill.
This is a GPS feature… maps was supposed to be just for directions, but it would be nice to have. I have it on my car’s navi and its great
The desktop version of Google maps does all these things (waypoints, routing, etc.). Why not the Android version?
I’ve noticed Google Maps doing this for well over a year.
I think this means it’s a more refined history sync or even an instant sync. Waiting for the update to find out heh.
It’s definitely been happening to me while using Now. I’m startled at how fast a PC maps search turns into a directoins/navigation Now card on my GNex
did they fix the wake lock issues :p
What wake lock issues? (serious question)
If your into the rooting/rom game and battery life stuff you would understand.
Basically what we have seen is the maps application causing some CPU waking cause the phone not to stay in much of a deep sleep state. Or sometimes if you look into the stock android battery usage maps will show up meanwhile you havent used the app in days.
I’m rooted running Paranoid, I’ve noticed end Maps shows its been awake for an hr or 2 but never worried cuz it didn’t seem to affect battery life….
That’s good, I’ve been using Google Now to do this for a while and was wondering when it’d make it’s way to the actual app for this.
I figured it already did this.. hmm
The option to sync your route is even better… and it’s been there for years.