Google Maps indoors

Google has rolled out a new version of Google Maps for Android which has a new menu toolbar, a more detailed Places homepage, and the ability to show indoor maps for certain locations.

For now Google Maps 6.0 for Android offers indoor maps for a small number of airports, shopping malls, and other locations. The indoor maps feature is still in beta, but it can certainly come in handy if you’re trying to find the nearest restroom or fast food joint while rushing to catch a connecting flight.

Indoor maps are available for a handful of locations in the US and Japan as well as some retail stores including Home Depot, Ikea, and Macy’s.

The indoor maps also include a floor selector so you can check out the second or third floor of large malls or airports.

The new version of Google Maps has a toolbar located in the upper-left corner. Tap it to bring up a menu that lets you quickly switch to the Places screen, Navigation, or other popular areas.

Google also redesigned the Places screen so that not only do you see icons for restaurants, bars, cafes, and other popular items, but also previews of items that are nearby as well as prompts to check-in if Google Maps detects that you’re currently at a specific location.

Google Maps 6.0 for Android is available as a free download from the Android Market.

via Google Lat Long Blog

Brad Linder

Brad Linder is editor of Liliputing and Mobiputing. He's been tinkering with mobile tech for decades and writing about it since...