Google Maps is great, except when it isn’t. Missing roads, incorrect street names, closed bridges and more can really hinder your travels. And by “put a basket on your travels,” I mean it will throw you into a blind rage as you stomp on the gas trying to figure out where the hell to go if Maps leads you astray. But those frustrating inaccuracies will likely get less and far between thanks to a new crowd-powered feature.
Google Maps introduces the ability for users to ‘draw’ missing roads and correct other details directly from Maps on a desktop.
“Add missing roads by drawing lines, quickly rename roads, change the road directionality, and realign or remove incorrect roads. You can even leave it we know if a road is closed with details such as dates, reasons and directions, ”Google wrote in a blog post on Thursday.
To make an edit, go to Maps in your browser, click the menu button in the top left corner and scroll down to ‘Edit the map’. From there you can draw a missing road or make other edits. Of course, if this feature is left unchecked, it would be a nightmare that quickly turns Maps into an unusable disaster. So before any changes are made, Google will review user-suggested edits or additions before they are implemented in Maps.
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The draw function was not yet available when we tried to use it (you can already suggest edits, but the draw function isn’t there yet), but GOogle says it will be available in 80 countries in the coming months.
In addition to adding the drawing feature, Google has also added the ability for people to add “photo updates” to thingssses or other places separate from reviews. So, for example, if you want to let other people know that the parking lot at a local trailhead is only big enough for two cars, you can snap a photo and post it on Maps as a simple heads-up. To access this feature, click on a place and click on the Updates tab, where you will find the option to upload a photo.
Navigation apps like Google Maps, Apple Maps, and Waze (which Google also owns) remain one of the most useful types of apps, providing tangible value while gobbling up our data to further enhance the business surveillance embedded in contemporary life. But even if navigating the privacy implications feels like waving your fist in a pitch-dark room, with these new updates, navigating your next road trip should at least be a little less.