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Google Maps Update Brings Walking Navigation to Android and More

phandroid

Admin News Bot
Apr 12, 2008
10,396
383
Google just updated Maps for Android to version 4.5, and this one is a doozy. Three fairly substantial features have been added into the app to increase usability and provide a seamless experience no matter what method of travel you choose. The most major update is the inclusion of Walking Navigation (beta, of course), what Google [...]

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Edit:
What's different? I already had walking directions months ago. (Cycling directions - now that would be cool).
OK so I confused directions with navigation. Forget that bit.

Also, stuff which I used to access via the menu is now taking up valuable screen space, i.e. search, places, layers & my location. How crummy is that? I want to see maps not buttons :mad:. Can't find any preferences menu to change this either.
 
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Edit: OK so I confused directions with navigation. Forget that bit.

Also, stuff which I used to access via the menu is now taking up valuable screen space, i.e. search, places, layers & my location. How crummy is that? I want to see maps not buttons :mad:. Can't find any preferences menu to change this either.

I think it's under labs? Try turning off those features in labs and see what happens.
 
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I think it's under labs? Try turning off those features in labs and see what happens.

Nope, these aren't lab options, they are basic functions which previously were accessible through the menu button but are now taking up valuable screen area. The search option is particularly pointless as it looks like an entry field but is in fact just a button which opens up the same old view as the menu option used to. The more I use it the less impressed I am.
 
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Nope, these aren't lab options, they are basic functions which previously were accessible through the menu button but are now taking up valuable screen area. The search option is particularly pointless as it looks like an entry field but is in fact just a button which opens up the same old view as the menu option used to. The more I use it the less impressed I am.

I think I have the 4.4 apk floating around somewhere, if you want a copy of it.
 
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