With the latest Google Maps update, Google wants to improve your commute, especially if you’re using a combination of personal and public transportation to get to work and back home. Using the Commute tab, Google Maps users now receive real-time information about the various perils along the way that might delay their commute, which should help to prevent them from missing meetings and wasting time on commutes.
The company explained that people in North America spend up to a full day per month commuting, which adds up to a two-week vacation each year. The new Commute tab gets you “one-tap access to live traffic and transit information tailored to your commute.” The app will automatically highlight delays caused by accidents, heavy traffic, or other disruptions, and offer alternative routes to help you get to work faster. The new Commute features are coming to both Android and iPhone, but if you’re on Android, then you’re also getting notifications about delays and disruptions on your route as they happen.
Furthermore, the feature will also support commutes that involve driving, public transit, and walking. Google will get you traffic information, departure times for public transportation, and walk estimates so you know exactly how long the whole journey should take, no matter how you plan to get there.
Users in 80 regions worldwide will see exactly where their bus or train is in the map in real-time. In Sydney, the app will even tell you how full the next bus is. A similar feature will be available in other markets in the future.
Finally, Google Maps will now support Apple Music, Google Play Music, and Spotify music playback right inside the app.
The new Commute feature, which was spotted in testing a few weeks ago, should roll out to Android and iPhone globally this week.
