Google Maps iOS and Android apps now feature Waze data on accidents

A nifty update is here for those who use the Google Maps application on their Android and iOS devices. Brian McClendon, VP, Google Maps, has confirmed in a post that the teams at Google Maps and Waze have joined hands to make it simpler for users of both platforms to navigate through their life.

For those unfamiliar, Waze is essentially a GPS-based real-time service that provides turn-by-turn navigation. It relies on crowdsourced route details, including information about traffic, accidents and more. Now when Waze users report about accidents, road closures, constructions, et al on the platform, Google Maps will feature that data, enabling users to make better decisions pertaining to their travel. This ability is being rolled out for Google Maps Android and iOS app users in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, France, Germany, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Switzerland, UK and the US.

A screenshot of the Waze app

Two new updates have been introduced to the Waze Android and iOS apps too, first being support for Google Search. Once they’ve updated their applications, Waze users will have access to additional search results when navigating. The Waze Map Editor, following a successful beta test, now features Google Street View and satellite imagery, so as to make it simpler for them to correct map errors reported by the community.

Google recently revealed that it shelled out a whopping $966 million to purchase Israeli mapping start-up Waze. The search giant had finalised the deal to buy Waze in June and the price amount being speculated during the time was in the vicinity of $1 billion.