[ad_1]
Since last year, Google has been continuously updating its iPhone and iPad apps with Home screen widgets. Google Maps is now the latest with version 5.74 which sees a pair of useful iOS widgets.
The first is a standard search widget called “Find nearby places”. Google used the same layout for the Search and Chrome app. It starts with a pill-shaped search box that directly opens the app and keyboard.
Meanwhile, there are shortcuts to the “Home” and “Work” addresses to quickly get directions. Finally, Google Maps offers others for restaurants, gas, groceries, and coffee that will search nearby in your current location.
The second iOS Google Maps widget is Know Before You Go. It allows you to “Check the latest traffic conditions, view location details, store opening hours, restaurant reviews, etc.” The 1 × 1 square mainly displays a map of your current location with the traffic layer turned on.
Prior to today’s update, Google Maps supported the previous widget format and offered four of them: traffic, transit departures (nearby stations), travel time (to home and to work), and local guides. The functionality of Traffic is present today, but the others have not yet been migrated.
The version 5.74 release notes indicate that Google plans to add more Maps widgets for iOS:
In this release, we’re launching our first set of Home screen widgets to help you plan and navigate to your destination.
Compared to Android, widgets on iOS are more interactive. The proprietary platform uses widgets as shortcuts for specific directions, launches driving mode, location sharing, and switches to nearby traffic view in the app.
Learn more about Google Maps:
FTC: We use automatic affiliate links which generate income. Following.
Check out 9to5Google on YouTube for more information:
[ad_2]
Source link