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Google announced they are rolling out a completely new design and interface for both the Android and iOS versions of the Google Maps app. The new design goes with the "material design" principles, giving it a fluid and smooth interface.
Google wrote:
Over the next few days, when you open up Google Maps on your Android or iPhone, you’ll be greeted by bright colors and a fresh new design. This new look is all about creating surfaces and shadows that echo the real world; with Google Maps’ new material feel, layers and buttons come to life so you know just where to touch to get directions, recommendations and imagery
With the design change, a lot of features have been moved around. Abby from the Google Maps team shared some of those changes in the Google Maps Help forum:
- Use the menu button in the top left to access your places, layers, settings, and help features, and tap the blue directions button on the bottom right to get directions
- Share your favorite place, add photos, and save an offline map by tapping the menu on a place’s info sheet
- Improvements to restaurant reservations
- Improvements to Uber integration
You can see a lot more screen shots and details at the Google blog but I do wonder how and if this will impact local search marketers.
Forum discussion at Google Maps Help and Google+.
