Google Maps update brings new homescreen and other features for Indian users

Increasing its focus on the Indian market, Google has rolled out an important update to its Maps app on Android. The update introduces a new home screen and also brings some new features.
The upgraded Google Maps app now comes with new short cuts on the home screen, giving easier access to certain functionalities. The app now loads the home screen faster “so that the millions of people in India coming online can discover and share great places, even on spotty connections,” said Cathay Bi, product manager for Google Maps, in a company blog post.
Features that were earlier accessible via the overflow sidebar such as distance and time covered when driving using public transport, walking and hiring a taxi etc., are now on a scrollable card at the bottom of the screen. This eliminates the need to swipe from left to right on the screen and tap on separate options. Other options from the list such as Satellite view, Traffic view, Public transport lines and more, too have shifted in the card placed at the bottom, making it easier to access them.
“Now when you fire up your Google Maps app, you’ll instantly see a directions card with different modes of transportation. Whether you’d like to take the bus to Connaught Place in New Delhi or you are planning to go by foot to a new mall that just opened nearby, you can start planning your route with a single tap. And if you’d like to access a certain route while you’re on the go without using data, you can save the route to be used offline,” added Bi.