Google Maps For Android Enhances Explore Nearby Feature & Adds Elevation To Biking Directions

Google is pushing out an update for their Android Google Maps app and with that, Google announced three new changes:

(1) View search results on the map or in a list and easily switch between them
(2) Search for places you’ve reviewed or saved using the “Your places” filter
(3) Bike directions now include elevation profiles to help avoid steep hills

One they did not announce is the enhanced “explore nearby” functionality that they’ve added.

Android Police picked up on that, showing they added a new icon to the bottom of the map to quickly access the feature and then when you are within the nearby feature, you can then filter in more detail. Such as filtering by various categories with even focused groups and points of interest. There is also a drop-down filter to select the time of day for more appropriate suggestions.

Here are pictures of the new nearby functionality:

Here is a picture of the new elevation feature within biking directions:

About The Author

Barry Schwartz

Barry Schwartz a Contributing Editor to Search Engine Land and a member of the programming team for SMX events. He owns RustyBrick, a NY based web consulting firm. He also runs Search Engine Roundtable, a popular search blog on very advanced SEM topics. Barry can be followed on Twitter here.