Google Maps for Android finally gets weather coverage when browsing maps: Report

Google Maps users on Android devices will be happy to know that the company is finally rolling out an update that will finally let users see current weather conditions right in the map browser. As per 9to5Google, the feature rolled out in recent weeks but is finally seeing wider availability now. This is a server-side update so users will basically need to flash the latest version of the app on their Android devices.

According to the report, the feature has been available for iOS users for several years and has recently started appearing (during the testing phase) for Android. For devices that have already received the server-side update, users will see a small box around the left corner of the map browser. This little box shows the current weather, and sometimes the Air Quality Index (AQI) (depending on availability).

Tapping the box reveals a larger tile that shows more details that typically appear in the top half of the Google Weather app (available on Pixel devices) or in Google search results.

It includes the current forecast along with the current high and low temperature as well as the daily forecast for the rest of the day. Below that is another section that shows the current air quality. Tapping it switches the view back to the map browser with markers for the nearest area with available AQI data, or colors the map according to the AQI legend.

To recall, Google also recently announced That it will bring a new creative AI feature to help improve discovery in maps. The feature is currently rolling out only to Local Guides in the US and uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help users discover new places. It will use large language models (LLMs) to decide which places to suggest to users if they are confused about where to go. According to Google, these suggestions will be tailored to the specific needs of the user. The feature will be rolled out to select local guides first, followed by a wider rollout later.

More recently, Google also at its Building for India event announced Maps will soon get several new Indian features in the coming months. It will include live view walking, lenses in maps, fuel efficient routing, address descriptors, local train support and more.

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