Google Maps Gaining Tools for Drawing Missing Roads, Sharing Photo Updates

Google today announced a number of improvements that are coming to the Google Maps app in the near future, including a tool that makes it easier to highlight missing roads and transportation errors.


There's a new road editing tool available on the desktop, accessible by going to maps.google.com. Users can click on the side menu button and select the "Edit the map" option to get to the a "Missing Road" entry.

Choosing the Missing Road option lets users add missing roads by drawing lines, which is an upgrade from the prior tool that was pin based. Users could drop a pin where there was an error, but the new road drawing tool allows for better accuracy.

In addition to drawing lines to add missing roads, the tool lets users rename roads, change the direction of a road, and realign or delete incorrect roads. There are also tools for informing Google about road closures with specific dates, reasons, and routes.

Google is vetting all contributed road updates before publishing them to maps. The new editing feature is rolling out over the coming months to more than 80 countries.

Along with new road editing tools, Google is adding a photos update option to Google Maps. In the coming weeks, Google plans to add a tool that will let users "share experiences and highlights" with their recent photos.

google photo updates
Photo updates can be added by going to the "Updates" tab when viewing a specific place in Google Maps and tapping the "upload a photo update" button. The tool will also display photos shared by others.

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
apple intelligence black

Report: Apple's AI Strategy Could Finally Pay Off in 2026

Tuesday December 30, 2025 9:01 am PST by
Apple's restrained artificial intelligence strategy may pay off in 2026 amid the arrival of a revamped Siri and concerns around the AI market "bubble" bursting, The Information argues. The speculative report notes that Apple has taken a restrained approach with AI innovations compared with peers such as OpenAI, Google, and Meta, which are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in data...
apple fitness 2026 1

Apple Teases 'Something Big' Coming Soon to Apple Fitness+

Tuesday December 30, 2025 2:11 pm PST by
The Apple Fitness+ Instagram account today teased that the service has "big plans" for 2026. In a video, several Apple Fitness+ trainers are shown holding up newspapers with headlines related to Apple Fitness+. What's Apple Fitness+ Planning for the New Year? Something Big is Coming to Apple Fitness+ The Countdown Begins. Apple Fitness+ 2026 is Almost Here 2026 Plans Still Under ...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max Users Report Static Speaker Noise While Charging

Tuesday December 30, 2025 10:39 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max owners are having trouble with the speakers of their devices, and have complained about a static or hissing noise that occurs when the iPhone is charging. There are multiple discussions about the issue on Reddit, the MacRumors forums, and Apple's Support Community, where affected users say there is a noticeable static noise "like an old radio." Some people report...
maxresdefault

Hands-On With a Rough iPhone Fold Mockup

Monday December 29, 2025 10:55 am PST by
Apple is rumored to be introducing a foldable iPhone in September 2026, and since it will bring the biggest form factor change since the iPhone was introduced in 2007, curiosity about the design is high. A 3D designer created an iPhone Fold design based on rumors, and we printed it out to see how it compares to Apple's current iPhones. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
maxresdefault

Where's the New Apple TV?

Monday December 22, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV 4K since 2022, and 2025 was supposed to be the year that we got a refresh. There were rumors suggesting Apple would release the new Apple TV before the end of 2025, but it looks like that's not going to happen now. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said several times across 2024 and 2025 that Apple would...
Mac Pro Feature Blue

What's Happening With the Mac Pro?

Wednesday December 31, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Mac Pro since 2023, and according to recent rumors, there's no update coming in the near future. In fact, Apple might be finished with the Mac Pro. Bloomberg recently said that the Mac Pro is "on the back burner" and has been "largely written off" by Apple. Apple apparently views the more compact Mac Studio as the ideal high-end pro-level desktop, and it has almost...
macbook air march 2020

Apple Says Final Intel MacBook Air and Apple Watch Series 5 Now 'Vintage'

Wednesday December 31, 2025 8:39 am PST by
Apple today added the final 13-inch MacBook Air powered by Intel processors, the Apple Watch Series 5, and additional products to its vintage products list. The iPhone 11 Pro was also added to the list after the iPhone 11 Pro Max was added back in September. The full list of products added to Apple's vintage and obsolete list today: MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2020) iPhone 8 Plus 128GB ...

Top Rated Comments

TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
63 months ago
Wonderful! Hopefully this does not happen again.

Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Michael Scrip Avatar
63 months ago

In addition to drawing lines to add missing roads, the tool lets users rename roads, change the direction of a road, and realign or delete incorrect roads.
Good!

For some reason... Google thinks my neighbor's driveway is a road.

This house has been here for over 30 years... but only recently Google has upgraded his driveway to a road. And it's annoying to see it every time I open Maps.

?



Attachment Image
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LeadingHeat Avatar
63 months ago
This is a pretty nice feature. I hope Apple implements something similar soon. Competition is great for consumers! (in most cases)

We have good progress with the traffic/construction/speed trap updates coming, so seems like we’re going in the right direction.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ThisBougieLife Avatar
63 months ago
As a lover of maps, I'm always glad to see more ways we can contribute to their improvement. I reported an error on Google Maps and they changed it fairly quickly. (They had labeled a local road "Cherry Ave." instead of "Cherry St." I hope someone got fired for that blunder). :p
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LeadingHeat Avatar
63 months ago

Good!

For some reason... Google thinks my neighbor's driveway is a road.

This house has been here for over 30 years... but only recently Google has upgraded his driveway to a road. And it's annoying to see it every time I open Maps.

?


He’s just flexing on everyone else with his big house. Probably edited the maps to make it look like that on purpose
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
aesc80 Avatar
63 months ago

Well this could go awry.
"This new road is oddly shaped ... son, cover your eyes!"

Still a neat little feature that I hope has eyes for reviews. Nothing sucks more than driving around winding areas only to find the path Google Maps says is actually a closed-off off road area.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)