Google Maps is an application used by millions of people daily. It is a part of their daily commute through which they get to their jobs and other desired destinations on time. Google is often polishing and adding new features to make the service even better than before.
Google Maps previously got the feature where it could track traffic density and suggested alternative faster routes to get to the same destination, which is very convenient and time saving for the users. Google has now revealed that Maps is testing out showing traffic lights on streets, however, this is only possible on devices operating on the Android operating system.
The screenshots were obtained by the folks over at Droid-Life shows that Google Maps is, indeed, showing traffic light icons around that area. The user lives in West Des Moines, which is soon to become a Google Fiber supported city, showed numerous points around the city where the traffic lights are very clearly visible at intersections. These lights can be seen on the traditional map view as well as during navigation mode on Google Maps.
This feature could be useful for users for a lot of reasons. It might be useful in navigation, for planning ahead and not being caught off-guard on the upcoming lights. Although Google cannot show the current status of the lights, it will still be very useful for people traveling and navigating.
Furthermore, with the increase in demand for self-driving cars such as those of Tesla and Google, polishing and providing such features might increase the safety and precision of such vehicles who may integrate this service in their systems. Many companies like Ford and Volkswagen are also investing in autonomous vehicles, and they might use such services like that of Google Maps, integrating them in the vehicles and improving the safety and precision of their systems.
This appears to be a server-side test of some kind because it’s not available to all the Android devices yet. The test might be limited to small set of users using the latest Google Maps version in certain cities and areas.
Last year, Apple also launched this feature for its mapping service only available on iOS devices. It seems like Google is not offering stop sign markings and locations like that provided in Apple Maps. However, it is only a matter of time when Google also provides them since the feature is still in development phase.
Read next: Google is Testing A Local Listing Carousel In Google Maps Footer
Google Maps previously got the feature where it could track traffic density and suggested alternative faster routes to get to the same destination, which is very convenient and time saving for the users. Google has now revealed that Maps is testing out showing traffic lights on streets, however, this is only possible on devices operating on the Android operating system.
The screenshots were obtained by the folks over at Droid-Life shows that Google Maps is, indeed, showing traffic light icons around that area. The user lives in West Des Moines, which is soon to become a Google Fiber supported city, showed numerous points around the city where the traffic lights are very clearly visible at intersections. These lights can be seen on the traditional map view as well as during navigation mode on Google Maps.
This feature could be useful for users for a lot of reasons. It might be useful in navigation, for planning ahead and not being caught off-guard on the upcoming lights. Although Google cannot show the current status of the lights, it will still be very useful for people traveling and navigating.
Furthermore, with the increase in demand for self-driving cars such as those of Tesla and Google, polishing and providing such features might increase the safety and precision of such vehicles who may integrate this service in their systems. Many companies like Ford and Volkswagen are also investing in autonomous vehicles, and they might use such services like that of Google Maps, integrating them in the vehicles and improving the safety and precision of their systems.
This appears to be a server-side test of some kind because it’s not available to all the Android devices yet. The test might be limited to small set of users using the latest Google Maps version in certain cities and areas.
Last year, Apple also launched this feature for its mapping service only available on iOS devices. It seems like Google is not offering stop sign markings and locations like that provided in Apple Maps. However, it is only a matter of time when Google also provides them since the feature is still in development phase.
Read next: Google is Testing A Local Listing Carousel In Google Maps Footer
