Skip to main content

Google Maps now uses Street View images to save you from getting lost

google maps street view navigation 3431619  turning wheel at high speed in the countryside
Joseasreyes/123RF
Google Maps recently rolled out a handy update designed to make it even easier to find your destination when using its turn-by-turn navigation feature.

Currently available for the Android version of Maps, the latest update means that when you’re using the app for directions in the usual way, you’ll also see images pulled from Street View showing the precise place where you need to make a turn.

Recommended Videos

Seeing a photographic representation of the spot, coupled with spoken and on-screen directions, leaves you with little excuse for missing a turn — as long as major construction work hasn’t taken place since Google’s camera-laden car last rolled by.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

The handy feature, viewable when you tap on the time and distance information that appears at the bottom of Maps after you request directions, could prove useful for prepping a journey, and should also save you or your passengers having to squint for street names when approaching a tricky or hard-to-locate turn.

Indeed, it’ll be safer if the driver leaves the Street View imagery to any available passengers. This is because the pictures appear on the navigation screen as thumbnails, so you’ll have to tap on the image to make it bigger. In other words, unless you pull over, it could start getting fiddly when you have a car to drive and a road to watch.

When you tap on the thumbnail, the orientation of the enlarged image helpfully matches your direction of travel, according to Android Police, which first spotted the unannounced feature. The site also notes how the feature has been included with the web version of Maps for many years, so it’s good news that the developers have finally seen fit to incorporate it into the mobile alternative.

But as we said, it currently only works on Android devices, though hopefully iPhone users won’t have to wait too long to get the same functionality. We’ll keep you posted.

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Waze vs. Google Maps: Which one is right for you?
google v waze feat image

When you need to go somewhere, you naturally seek out the best route with the lightest traffic possible and fewest obstructions. Today's mapping and navigation apps are there for you. The two most popular apps for iOS and Android -- Google Maps and Waze -- deliver on that brief, presenting up-to-the-minute information, real-time turn-by-turn directions, and much more.

Google Maps and Waze are amongst the most popular navigation apps -- even among iPhone users -- because both are easy to use and consistently deliver accurate directions. So which one of these two Google-owned apps should you choose as your day-to-day driving navigation aid? Let's figure it out by looking at the two side-by-side, so you can see why of the two apps you prefer.
What is Waze?

Read more
Apple Maps vs. Google Maps: Which one is best for you?

Navigation tools like Google Maps and Apple Maps have changed the way we find places, explore local businesses, and share directions with friends. Both have a similar purpose, but you will find that there are some differences in their navigation tools and interfaces.

If you rely on an Android device, Google Maps is the only option of the two. However, if you own an iPhone, learning more about the differences between Google Maps and Apple Maps will help you choose the best navigation app for your needs.
Maps vs. Maps historical contest
Launched in 2005, Google Maps has been the premier mobile mapping service since the dawn of the smartphone. Apple Maps for the iPhone and iPad, on the other hand, didn't arrive until 2012 and for years it struggled with technical issues. These included wrong directions, lack of support for public transportation, and many glitches and bugs that made the service nearly unusable. All the while, Google Maps continued to improve and reign supreme.

Read more
Google Maps’ new community feed aims to keep you in the loop
4 ways 2020 has changed how i use my tech google maps in hand

Google Maps is getting more social.

Don’t worry, it hasn’t jumped on the bandwagon by becoming the latest app to launch a version of Snapchat Stories (though we can’t say it never will), but instead, it's added what it’s calling a “community feed” to help surface useful tidbits for your local area.

Read more