Following the maps and search interface updates last week, Google has added a useful little feature to its Maps app used by over billions of users across multiple platforms. The new update to the Google Maps app for Android now shows you a graph which represents the time frame for you to leave for your location. So, whenever you search for directions to a specific location from now on, Google will not only provide you with traffic updates but will also literally tell you when you should leave. This feature is proved useful in metro cities where the roads are always filled with traffic and it is really tough to plan your travel accordingly.
How To Get It?
The graph displays a 5-hour time frame when you search for a location. You can access it by swiping up from the bottom where the time taken to reach your destination is displayed. The current time is highlighted with usual traffic density and you could visually recognize when is the traffic at its peak and you could plan your travel accordingly. This new update is now being rolled out to everyone and unlike other updates from Google, this was indeed a quick roll out considering the fact that Google usually takes a lot of time testing and will only roll out to a few users initially. You can get this feature on your Android device if you have the version 9.56 or above of the Google Maps installed.
Is It Useful?
However, keep in mind that this suggestion by Google about the ideal time to start your travel is only an estimate and you could not always blindly rely on it. But it is still useful to approximately know about the traffic in your locality and we could only hope that Google would more accurately show the results in the future. If you are someone who travels a lot or someone who is always late to a meeting or a get together, then this might be of most use for you. Let us know in the comments below whether you have received the update yet and is it useful or not for you.
