Few months back, a Google Maps update added the option of calling an Uber whenever you look for directions. Ola Cabs was also added to Google Maps so that you can simply look up your destination, check fare estimates and call an Uber or Ola right away. The feature is especially useful when you are using location from some third party source like WhatsApp or Email. You won’t have to check location data and then key in into the Uber app. This simplifies the process when you are on the go.

The option was available in other parts of the world as well and now Maps is adding Grab and Go-Jek in Southeast Asia. Earlier it offered only the option of Uber but now the new additions will also be displayed along with Uber like we see here in India. It will work in a similar fashion. When one looks for directions, it will also include the option of booking a cab or motorcycle taxi along with the estimated pickup time and cost.

This step will certainly help them gain more visibility, considering the fact that after clearing China out of the equation, Uber is likely to get aggressive in SouthEast Asia. On the other side, Grab is raising a fresh round to keep its game strong. Having better visibility will help to some extent.

GoJek is a relatively newer player but strong in the motorcycle taxi segment. The company plans to add new geographies and Google Maps will help with the visibility along with their own marketing efforts. Grab announced the update few days back through a blog post.

Source: TechCrunch

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Connectivity is a major issue in our country and often as we step outside the city boundaries, the network quality deteriorates. That is why it is important to have offline maps on your device, especially when travelling to new areas where you aren’t sure about the routes or network status. Until now Google allowed you to store some regions of the map offline but the navigation option was missing. On top of that, the area was limited to few square kilometres leaving the feature pretty much useless.

Now however Google has added the offline navigation feature to Maps like they promised earlier at the Google I/O. Instead of small areas, you can now search for a region and download the map to your device. Once the maps have been downloaded, Google Maps will automatically go offline as soon as it encounters bad mobile network and will automatically switch back to internet to get realtime traffic status when it can.

The update is gradually rolling out on Android devices. The feature won’t be available on iOS immediately but will be coming out soon. They will be rolling out even more offline features with time. Until now travellers used to rely on alternatives like HERE maps to save on data costs and navigate in spotty network conditions but with Google Maps rolling out this update, the rivals might see some drop in usage.

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