Google Maps is the type of app that requires frequent and regular updates because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up helping it stay relevant. After all, people would need live updates for things like traffic and routes, and they also need live updates when they are using certain features within the app as not having quick updates in this regard might result in the app becoming a lot less useful than it currently happens to be.
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that it is functionally impossible for Google to update every single aspect of its map on a daily basis. Doing so would likely end up costing trillions of dollars with all things having been considered and taken into account, and the thing is that there really isn’t any point to doing so either. While some features and aspects of Google Maps require daily or live updates, others can get by just fine at least for a little while.
One thing to know about Google Maps updates is that if you live in an area where lots of people live, chances are that you would be able to see a lot more updates than those that live in relatively secluded areas. The needs of the many often outweigh the needs of the few, and this is truer for Google Maps than it happens to be for most other things since Google has a bottom line that it needs to adhere to.
Street view is a feature that usually sees annual updates. You can see when the picture was taken by clicking on the icon on the bottom right of your street view. If you live in a part of the world that has a lower than average population, you might have to wait anywhere from 3-5 years or perhaps even more to get an update to your street view, so there is a decent chance that the street view that you are seeing is relatively outdated.
This is the same update frequency for satellite imagery as well, with bigger cities getting annual updates and smaller locales seeing updates every few years or so. Street names are a bigger logistical issue to handle though, because the sheer size of the world makes it difficult to know when a street name or sign has been changed. Google usually relies on public records for this, so if a public record was released then chances are that things would work out quickly otherwise it might take a longer period of time.
H/T: Insider.
Read next: Google Might Change Up Video Previews in a Latest Search Result Experiment
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that it is functionally impossible for Google to update every single aspect of its map on a daily basis. Doing so would likely end up costing trillions of dollars with all things having been considered and taken into account, and the thing is that there really isn’t any point to doing so either. While some features and aspects of Google Maps require daily or live updates, others can get by just fine at least for a little while.
One thing to know about Google Maps updates is that if you live in an area where lots of people live, chances are that you would be able to see a lot more updates than those that live in relatively secluded areas. The needs of the many often outweigh the needs of the few, and this is truer for Google Maps than it happens to be for most other things since Google has a bottom line that it needs to adhere to.
Street view is a feature that usually sees annual updates. You can see when the picture was taken by clicking on the icon on the bottom right of your street view. If you live in a part of the world that has a lower than average population, you might have to wait anywhere from 3-5 years or perhaps even more to get an update to your street view, so there is a decent chance that the street view that you are seeing is relatively outdated.
This is the same update frequency for satellite imagery as well, with bigger cities getting annual updates and smaller locales seeing updates every few years or so. Street names are a bigger logistical issue to handle though, because the sheer size of the world makes it difficult to know when a street name or sign has been changed. Google usually relies on public records for this, so if a public record was released then chances are that things would work out quickly otherwise it might take a longer period of time.
H/T: Insider.
Read next: Google Might Change Up Video Previews in a Latest Search Result Experiment
