Google Maps for iOS Updated With Spoken Traffic Alerts

Google today updated its Google Maps app to version 4.12, adding spoken traffic alerts in navigation mode as well as the ability to easily add new or missing businesses from the app's sidebar.

Spoken traffic alerts will tell users about traffic congestion and incidents on a user's route. Additionally, users will get traffic descriptions summarizing traffic conditions before they set off on their journey. The feature is similar to Google-owned Waze's notifications, which also verbally points out traffic congestion, incidents and the location of police in the area.

Google Maps is a universal app available for free in the App Store. [Direct Link]

Tag: Google Maps

Top Rated Comments

scott523

144 months ago

Great to see Google is catching up on this feature. Apple already had this earlier this year at the start of iOS 9 beta.

Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)

mejsric

144 months ago

If there is no Apple Map then iPhone users probably won't receive this update...

Thanks Apple for creating Apple Map.

Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)

KALLT

144 months ago

It’s such a shame that Google owns these two applications, they are simply the best in their class. Pity, I don’t want to have anything to do with Google.

Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

KALLT

144 months ago

shame you are missing some of the best iOS apps due to what reason?

Google’s business model and attitude towards user privacy for a start. They are ruthless in their collection of data and I’m not going to hand over a steady supply of GPS data along with persistent identifiers for them to store forever and analyse. This data is too sensitive and Apple promises not to do this. Google Maps is a carrot and stick for what they are really after and for me it isn’t a relationship I want to have.

Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Spink10

144 months ago

If there is no Apple Map then iPhone users probably won't receive this update...

Thanks Apple for creating Apple Map.

Very good point

Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

shamino

144 months ago

You do realise that obeying the speed limits would even be more of lifesaver ;-)

Not necessarily. Many cities (well, at least Washington DC, which I'm personally familiar with) sets up countless photo speed traps. Like when they decide stick a 35MPH sign on an interstate highway in order to issue several thousand $100+ tickets a day to everybody who is (safely) driving 55-65 on that road.

Slamming on your brakes to obey that limit would be far more dangerous than going through at 55 and getting the ticket.

Of course, avoiding Washington DC altogether is an even bigger lifesaver, but that's not always an option.

Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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