Google Maps 3.0 brings lane guidance, offline maps, search filters, Uber integration and more

Google today pushed out a major update to Google Maps for iOS with a bunch of new features including much-needed offline maps support, lane guidance in turn-by-turn directions, advanced search filtering and more.

Offline Maps
Offline Maps was one of the most requested Google Maps feature, and while it existed as an Easter Egg in earlier versions, the option is more discoverable in this release. To save an area for later, search or navigate to it in maps, and tap on the bottom bar to bring up the info sheet. Tap on the “Save map to use offline” button and give the area a name to retrieve it later.

Lane Guidance
Google Maps 3.0 will now tell you which lane to stay in or move to when you’re approaching an intersection, so that you don’t drive long distances along the wrong route. You can also easily view and switch to alternate routes if you need to. The feature is available in US, Canada and Japan.

Improved Transit results
Google Maps now lets you enter a date and time for departing in the transit results, to help narrow down your search. Additionally transit results will also the display total walking time of your trip.

Other features include options to filter restaurants, bars and hotels by rating, price and opening hours, Uber integration, Contacts app access and more. Here are the full release notes:

New features
- Turn-by-turn navigation now gives lane guidance and quick access to route overview (US and Canada only)
- View travel time, distance, and estimated arrival all at once in navigation mode (US only)
- Save offline maps to a custom list for when you’re traveling or have a slow connection
- Transit results now display total walking time of your trip and the next scheduled bus or train
- Filter search results for restaurants, bars and hotels by rating, price, opening hours, and more (US only)
- Sign in to see your “Places to review” list from recently saved or searched-for places
- If you have the Uber app installed, open it right from Google Maps when comparing route options
Things you’ve been asking for
- Access your iPhone or iPad contacts directly from the Google Maps app
- Tap and hold anywhere on the map to drop a pin, save and share that location
- Search without typing using Google Voice Search
- Scale bar to estimate distances on the map

If the app hasn’t been automatically updated, you can download the update via the Updates tab in the App Store app or use the iTunes link below.
Download link:
➤ Google Maps for iOS – free
[via Google Maps blog]

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