Both times the government cited concerns about photographing 'sensitive defense installations,' and Street View never got off the ground. Google tried again in 2016 by submitting plans to the government, but they were again rejected. Google originally tried launching the service in India in 2011, but the objections from the Indian government put an end to Google's data collection. Google hasn't been allowed to launch Street View in India for the last decade. India is the world's second-largest population and a major focus for Google, so it might be surprising to hear that Street View didn't already exist there. Lastly, Google Maps Street View is finally coming to India. That sure looks like Immersive View to me. You can see moving cars, clouds and weather, reflective water, and shadows. Google does not say that Immersive View is launching soon, but instead that this new 3D feature is 'the first step toward launching immersive view.' That makes it sound like this feature is somehow more limited than Immersive View, but then Google's gif detailing the feature contradicts that statement by showing the exact same London Immersive View footage that was demoed at I/O. The feature basically turns the service into SimCity, with simulated, animated 3D traffic, realistic water reflections, animated birds, clouds, and time-of-day lighting. The big question, though, is: 'Is this Immersive View'? Google previously announced ' Immersive View' at Google I/O as a super-ambitious new detail layer for desktop and mobile Google Maps, which raises the graphical fidelity to new heights. The SimCity-like Immersive View is launching. As always, you’re in control: you choose to stop sharing your location or block someone from setting notifications altogether. The person who’s shared their location with you will receive multiple reminders to let them know-including both a push notification in the Maps app and an email, along with recurring monthly emails. Notifications can only be set for someone who has already chosen to share their location with you. We’ve built this feature with privacy at the forefront. This would also be great to know when someone lands at an airport.Īs always, location sharing is a tricky privacy balance, so here's what Google says: Google imagines that if you're all meeting up somewhere, you can flag that location and get a push notification when each person arrives. If any friends or family members share their location with you, you'll soon be able to watch a certain area and get notified when they arrive or leave.

Location sharing is now getting notifications. The route selection screen is also able to break down routes into categories like 'more bike lanes' and 'less turns.' Maps now breaks down a route by percentages, showing how long you'll be in a marked bike line, a shared path, on a steep hill, or on a major road. Cyclists will now see a lot more information explaining what a route will be like. What took so long?!įirst up, we have a few new features from Google's latest blog post. Google Maps is launching a few new features today, and, after a decade of trying, Google is finally launching Street View in India.

Google maps 3d satellite