When Google Maps first debuted, the GPS world was dominated by $99+ TomToms. Having instant access to turn-by-turn directions via your phone was a godsend, but it had this bad habit of telling you to go down one-way turns when you weren’t supposed to. Today, Google Maps is pretty much all most people need in a GPS device, and the update to version 9.13 is another step towards the continuous progression of the perfect GPS device.
Google Maps: Version 9.13
The newest update to Google Maps is version 9.13, which brings a lot of business related changes, along with normal bug fixes. One of the best new features is the app’s ability to present users with a Street View thumbnail of their exact location. Unfortunately, there are times when the restaurant or store you’re looking for might be too new to be found on Google Maps. Now, Google is letting users contribute to the community by putting the control into the hands of the its users.
Updating Businesses
Now there is a shortcut placed directly in the sidebar that allows users to add missing information about restaurants, stores, coffee shops, or anything else; plus you can even add a business that isn’t listed on Google Maps.
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When you pull the sidebar out, you’ll see an option to add a missing business. From here, you’ll see a quick form that asks for basic information like the name, the address, category, phone, website, hours, and any other information that you would typically see in a business listing on Google.
The guys over at Android Police noticed that some v9.12 users have noticed the “Add a missing business” option on their phones, so the change may actually have happened server-side at the same time of the update.
Play Test Sound
The last new feature is more of a safety feature than anything else. Going back through the options menu, you can find an option to “Play test sound.” The feature is aptly named because it only exists to allow you to check the turn-by-turn volume before you find yourself fiddling with Google Maps while you’re driving 80 mph down the highway.
