Google Maps Adding Aerial Views, More Biking Details & More

Google Maps announced it is adding photorealistic aerial views, new cycling route information, new notifications for sharing your location, and more.

Ariel Views

Google said it is adding “photorealistic aerial views of nearly 100 of the world’s most popular landmarks in cities like Barcelona, London, New York, San Francisco and Tokyo.” This is one step towards the immerive views announcement Google made at Google I/O.

Here is a GIF of the photorealistic aerial views in action:

To see an aerial view wherever they’re available, search for a landmark in Google Maps and head to the Photos section.

Biking Details

Google is soon adding new cycling route information so you can compare bike routes and see even more granular details about your biking ride and more. Google will show elevation along your route, you will also see ahead of time if you will encounter heavy car traffic, stairs, or steep hills on your route.

Share Location Notifications

Google also improved the share your location feature, where you can share your location with a friend. Now you can set a notification for the specific address so you can see when your friend arrived and meet up quickly. You could also set a notification to see when they’ve left the venue, as well.

Notifications can only be set for someone who has already chosen to share their location with you. The person who’s shared their location with you will receive multiple reminders to let them know — including both a push notification in the Maps app and an email, along with recurring monthly emails. You can turn these off for privacy reasons.

Aerial views of landmarks and location sharing notifications are rolling out now globally on Google Maps on Android and iOS, with cycling route information launching in the coming weeks in the hundreds of cities where cycling directions are available.

Forum discussion at Twitter.