Software giant Google upgraded its Maps app and brought it free to iPad and Android tablets, besides Android phones. The new software will be released first through Google Play store and a version tailored for iPhones and iPads will soon be made available.
"The new Google Maps for mobile builds on the design we released for iPhone last December and improves on it with a few useful search and navigation features," Google Maps director Daniel Graf said in an official blog post on Wednesday. "It's a new mapping experience that makes exploring the world and getting to the places that matter to you a lot faster and easier."
However, this version will ditch the Latitude feature along with the ability to "check-in" at spots being visited that allows people to share locations with family or friends.
The Latitude feature, which automatically shares user's locations with friends using GPS capabilities in smartphones will no longer be in service from 9 August onwards.
"We understand some of you still want to see your friends and family on a map, which is why we've added location sharing and check-ins to Google+ for Android," Graf said. The ability to share location on Google+ on iOS will also come soon.
The new version brings access to offline maps in a new way by simply entering "OK Maps" into the search box when viewing the area the user wants for later.
After Google's acquisition of Israeli app company Waze, Google Maps' latest navigational features help get around traffic.
"You can now see reports of problems on the road that you can tap to see incident details. While on the road, Google Maps will also alert you if a better route becomes available and reroute you to your destination faster. This feature is available only on Android and is coming soon to iOS," Graff said.
