Google Maps is delivering a lot of new features announced at I/O to users at the moment, but it seems that’s not all. This week, a few Maps users are noting incident reporting on their travels, just like Waze.
Google Maps is probably one of a few must-have apps on any phone, whether it’s Android or iPhone. That’s already a given, but Google just updated Maps on Android, bringing a new design and features to loyal Maps users.
Waze is GPS navigation software that was first introduced in 2006 as FreeMap Israel. It provides turn-by-turn navigation information and user-submitted travel times and route details while downloading location-dependent information over a mobile telephone network. Google purchased Waze in 2013 for $966 million.
Google has kept the service separate from Maps, instead letting people choose their preferred way to navigate. But it finally looks like Google is integrating one of Waze’s best features into Maps.
Currently, there’s no way to report incidents in Google Maps, and when an accident does show up on your commute, tapping on it will bring up a message about how the incident was reported in Waze.
With the incident reporting now going integrate into Maps, the users will be able to see when an incident was reported, when it was last updated, and even when it might end. Users can then contribute to the reporting with onscreen prompts, keeping the information as current as possible.
The both mapping apps are owned by the same company, many drivers prefer using Waze because the incident reporting feature is accurate and timely. But the two apps shouldn’t clash with each other too hard in terms of fighting for users; Waze is specifically designed for drivers, while Google Maps is used for walking, public transit, and biking directions in addition to searches for local business information and recommendations.
Clearly, this is something Google has been working on for quite some time, but it’s unknown if this will roll out on a wider basis anytime soon, though.
