Technology
New Google Maps feature means you’ll NEVER get lost again
GOOGLE Maps has updated its Live View feature and it could help you avoid getting lost ever again.
Live View lets you use your phone camera to see augmented reality instructions on your screen.
The feature uses AR to help you get a good idea of your surroundings[/caption]
The update means more precise instructions will now appear on your screen so you don’t miss a turn.
The feature can now also show you are in relation to important places such as your home or a hotel.
The Live View update is rolling out now but isn’t avaliable in all cities yet.
Live View should be avaliable in most places that have Street View.
Live View isn’t a new feature but has just been updated[/caption]
The feature can also tell you information about businesses you walk past.
This includes restaurant names and opening times so may be useful in a city you’ve never been to.
It can also tell you how busy a business is and includes recent customer photos.
That could be useful if you’re looking to be as socially distanced as possible on your day out.
How to use Google Maps Live View
The Google support page explains: “When you tap Live View, a message pops up on your screen.
“The message tells you to point your phone camera at buildings, street signs, or any element of scenery that Google Maps can recognize against Street View data in the area. Once Google Maps recognizes where you are, it displays the navigation instructions on your phone.”
The Live View icon is a fractured square containing a Google pinpoint icon.
How to check your Google Location History
Here’s what you need to know…
There are several ways to check your own Google Location History.
The easiest way is to follow the link to the Google Maps Timeline page:
This lets you see exactly where you’ve been on a given day, even tracking your methods of travel and the times you were at certain locations.
Alternatively, if you’ve got the Google Maps app, launch it and press the hamburger icon – three horizontal lines stacked on top of each other.
Then go to the Your Timeline tab, which will show places you’ve previously visited on a given day.
If you’ve had Google Location History turned on for a few years without realising, this might be quite shocking.
Suddenly finding out that Google has an extremely detailed map of years of your real-world movements can seem creepy – so you might want to turn the feature off.
The good news is that it’s possible to immediately turn Google Location History off at any time.
You can turn off Location History here:
However, to truly stop Google from tracking you, you’ll also need to turn off Web & Activity Tracking.
You can see your tracked location markers here:
Most read in Phones & Gadgets
In other news, you can now password-protect your Google Search history so prying eyes don’t see it.
Microsoft Teams just got some new features that could help it rival WhatsApp.
And, Facebook is facing backlash in the US over plans to create a version of Instagram for children under 13.
How often do you use Google Maps? Let us know in the comments…
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