Google Maps v9.72 Beta Prepares to Add Uber Account Creation, Improves Transit Guidance and Road Closure Reporting, and More

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Google Maps v9.72 beta is rolling out to users via the Play Store. User-facing changes are far and few between, but we did an APK teardown of the app and discovered a lot of information about upcoming features. In short, Google is adding native Uber integration to Google Maps, meaning users will be able to create Uber accounts from within Maps. Alerts about directions, and transit guidance are being improved, and there are new notifications. Finally, users will be able to submit more information about road closures.

There is a lot to get into, so let’s get started.



An APK teardown can often predict features that may arrive in a future update of an application, but it is possible that any of the features we mention here may not make it in a future release. This is because these features are currently unimplemented in the live build and may be pulled at any time by Google in a future build.

Create an Uber account from Google Maps

Uber integration <string name="ACCOUNT_LINKING_CONTINUE">Continue</string> <string name="ACCOUNT_LINKING_GOOGLE_SIGN_IN">Get started</string> <string name="CANCEL_ACCOUNT_LINKING_MESSAGE">You need to link your accounts to book a ride</string> <string name="CHOOSE_ACCOUNT_CONTINUE_AS_NAME">Continue as %1$s</string> <string name="CHOOSE_ACCOUNT_LIST_TITLE">Choose account</string> <string name="CHOOSE_ACCOUNT_OTHER_ACCOUNT">Use a different %1$s account</string> <string name="CHOOSE_ACCOUNT_SUBTITLE">Link %1$s to your Google Account</string> <string name="CHOOSE_ACCOUNT_TITLE">Book a ride in less than 30 seconds</string> <string name="CHOOSE_PHONE_NUMBER_ADD_NUMBER">Add phone number</string> <string name="CHOOSE_PHONE_NUMBER_LIST_TITLE">Choose another phone number</string> <string name="CHOOSE_COUNTRY_CODE">Choose country</string> <string name="CONTENT_DESCRIPTION_COUNTRY_CODE">Country code: %1$s %2$s</string> <string name="COUNTDOWN_TIMER">%1$d:%2$02d</string> <string name="COUNTRY_CODE">(%1$s)</string> <string name="CREATE_ACCOUNT_CANCEL_BUTTON">Cancel</string> <string name="CREATE_ACCOUNT_COARSE_LOCATION">Current city</string> <string name="CREATE_ACCOUNT_CREATE_BUTTON">Create account</string> <string name="CREATE_ACCOUNT_DISCLAIMER">By continuing, you agree to %1$s <a href=%2$s>Terms</a> and <a href=%3$s>Privacy Policy</a> and agree Google may access your %4$s account information. <a href=%5$s>Learn more</a></string> <string name="CREATE_ACCOUNT_LOCATION_LABEL">Location</string> <string name="CREATE_ACCOUNT_PHONE_LABEL">Phone number</string> <string name="CREATE_ACCOUNT_SUBTITLE">Your %1$s account will be created with the following information</string> <string name="CREATE_ACCOUNT_TITLE">Almost done</string> <string name="ENTER_PHONE_NUMBER_DISCLAIMER_FULL">"You'll get a code via SMS. Carrier rates may apply."</string> <string name="ENTER_PHONE_NUMBER_ERROR">Something went wrong. Try entering a different phone number.</string> <string name="ENTER_PHONE_NUMBER_NO_EXISTING_NUMBERS_SUBTITLE">To create one, enter your phone number</string> <string name="ENTER_PHONE_NUMBER_NO_EXISTING_NUMBERS_TITLE">"You don't have an account with %1$s"</string> <string name="ENTER_PHONE_NUMBER_TITLE">Enter phone number</string> <string name="LINK_ACCOUNT_DISCLAIMER">By linking, you agree Google may access your %1$s account information. <a href=%2$s>Learn more</a></string> <string name="LINK_ACCOUNT_LINK_BUTTON">Link accounts</string> <string name="LINK_ACCOUNT_TITLE">"Let's link your %1$s account"</string> <string name="RESEND_SMS_ERROR">"Can't get a new code with this phone number. Try entering a different phone number."</string> <string name="VERIFY_CODE_ERROR">Wrong code. Try again.</string> <string name="VERIFY_CODE_RESEND_SMS_BUTTON">Get new code</string> <string name="VERIFY_CODE_SMS_DELAY_LABEL">"Didn't receive a code?"</string> <string name="VERIFY_CODE_SMS_DELAY_TIME">Wait %s and try again</string> <string name="VERIFY_CODE_SUBTITLE">Sent to %1$s</string> <string name="VERIFY_CODE_TITLE">Enter verification code</string> <string name="CREATE_UBER_ACCOUNT_DISCLAIMER">"By continuing, you agree to Uber's <a href=%1$s>Terms</a> and <a href=%2$s>Privacy Policy</a> and agree Google may access your Uber account information. <a href=%3$s>Learn more</a>"</string>

This is the headlining new feature we discovered in our teardown. Currently, booking an Uber ride from Maps requires installing and signing into the Uber app, but the new strings indicate that Google is adding

When the feature goes live, users will be able to create Uber accounts without leaving the Maps app. It’ll prompt them select their country code, enter their phone number, and type in a text verification code. It’ll also show a disclaimer letting users know that when they create an Uber account in Maps, they’re also agreeing to Uber’s Terms and Privacy Policy and allowing Google to access their Uber account information.

Direction preferences

<string name="DIRECTIONS_AVOIDING_FERRIES">Avoiding ferries</string> <string name="DIRECTIONS_AVOIDING_HIGHWAYS">Avoiding highways</string> <string name="DIRECTIONS_AVOIDING_HIGHWAYS_FERRIES">Avoiding highways, ferries</string> <string name="DIRECTIONS_AVOIDING_HIGHWAYS_TOLLS">Avoiding highways, tolls</string> <string name="DIRECTIONS_AVOIDING_HIGHWAYS_TOLLS_FERRIES">Avoiding highways, tolls, ferries</string> <string name="DIRECTIONS_AVOIDING_TOLLS">Avoiding tolls</string> <string name="DIRECTIONS_AVOIDING_TOLLS_FERRIES">Avoiding tolls, ferries</string>

These strings polish the route options experience. Maps will state that it’s routing around highways, tolls, and ferries when users set their preferences in the route options setting. (The options appear in the overflow button when a user taps on the Directions button.)

New notifications

<string name="NOTIFICATION_SUBTEXT_GENERIC">Tap to correct your transport mode for better updates</string> <string name="NOTIFICATION_SUBTEXT_SPECIFIC">Tap to correct your commute mode for better updates</string> <string name="NOTIFICATION_TITLE_DRIVE">"Don't drive to work?"</string> <string name="NOTIFICATION_TITLE_GENERIC">How do you commute?</string> <string name="NOTIFICATION_TITLE_TRANSIT">"Don't take transit to work?"</string>

Maps will ask users questions such as, “How do you commute?”, “Don’t drive to work?” and “Don’t take transit to work?” via notifications. Another new notification will let users quickly change their transport and commute preferences.

Improving the “Questions and Answers” feature

Questions and answers <string name="PLACE_QA_ACCESSIBILITY_YOUR_ANSWER_OVERFLOW_MENU_DESCRIPTION">Overflow menu for your answer: %1$s</string> <string name="PLACE_QA_ACCESSIBILITY_YOUR_QUESTION_OVERFLOW_MENU_DESCRIPTION">Overflow menu for your question: %1$s</string> <string name="PLACE_QA_ALL_DROPDOWN_MENU">All</string> <string name="PLACE_QA_ANSWER_DROPDOWN_MENU">Answers</string> <string name="PLACE_QA_ANSWER_QUESTIONS">Answer questions about places</string> <string name="PLACE_QA_ANSWER_QUESTIONS_HELP_TEXT">Share your knowledge and help others by answering questions about places.</string> <string name="PLACE_QA_ASK_OR_ANSWER_QUESTIONS">Ask or answer questions about places</string> <string name="PLACE_QA_ASK_OR_ANSWER_QUESTIONS_HELP_TEXT">Need more info? Ask questions about businesses and places on Google Maps. You can also help others by answering their questions.</string> <string name="PLACE_QA_ASK_QUESTIONS">Ask questions about places</string> <string name="PLACE_QA_ASK_QUESTIONS_HELP_TEXT">Need more info about a place? Ask a question and let others lend a hand.</string> <string name="PLACE_QA_DELETED_QUESTION_PLACE_HOLDER_TEXT">[Deleted question]</string> <string name="PLACE_QA_INACTIVE_PLACE_ERROR_MESSAGE">This place has been removed or deleted</string> <string name="PLACE_QA_INACTIVE_PLACE_SUBTITLE">Place no longer exists</string> <string name="PLACE_QA_INACTIVE_PLACE_TITLE">Inactive place</string> <string name="PLACE_QA_NO_ANSWERS_YET_HELP_TEXT">Anyone can answer questions to help others learn more about a business or a place. Just search for a place, select a question and tap <b>Add an answer publicly</b>.</string> <string name="PLACE_QA_NO_QUESTIONS_OR_ANSWERS_YET">No questions or answers yet</string> <string name="PLACE_QA_NO_QUESTIONS_OR_ANSWERS_YET_HELP_TEXT">Anyone can ask or answer questions to find out more about a business or a place. Just search for a place and use the <b>Questions & answers</b> section.</string> <string name="PLACE_QA_NO_QUESTIONS_YET_HELP_TEXT">Anyone can ask questions to find out more about a business or a place. Just search for a place and tap <b>Ask the community</b>.</string> <string name="PLACE_QA_QUESTION_DROPDOWN_MENU">Questions</string> <string name="PLACE_QA_SEE_THE_QUESTION">See the question</string> <string name="PLACE_QA_SUCCESS_MESSAGE_ANSWER_DELETED">Your answer was deleted</string> <string name="PLACE_QA_SUCCESS_MESSAGE_QUESTION_DELETED">Your question was deleted</string>

Detailed information for road closures

Road closures <string name="RAP_DISAMBIGUATION_CLOSED_ROAD_OPTION_DESCRIPTION">Report issues like construction, crashes, or other closures on this road</string> <string name="RAP_DISAMBIGUATION_CLOSED_ROAD_OPTION_TEXT">Road is closed</string> <string name="REPORT_A_PROBLEM_PICKER_DIALOG_REPORT_ADDRESS_INFO">Address info</string> <string name="REPORT_A_PROBLEM_PICKER_DIALOG_REPORT_CLOSED_ROAD">Closed road</string> <string name="REPORT_A_PROBLEM_PICKER_DIALOG_REPORT_ROAD_INFO">Road info</string> <string name="REPORT_A_PROBLEM_PICKER_DIALOG_SUBTITLE">Select an issue to report</string> <string name="REPORT_ROAD_CLOSED_ADD_DETAILS">Add more details</string> <string name="REPORT_ROAD_CLOSED_INSTRUCTIONS">Help people know more about this closure</string> <string name="REPORT_ROAD_CLOSED_OPTIONAL">(Optional)</string> <string name="REPORT_ROAD_CLOSED_ROAD_PICKER_SUBTITLE">Tap all sections of the road closure</string> <string name="REPORT_ROAD_CLOSED_ROAD_PICKER_TITLE">Select the roads</string> <string name="REPORT_ROAD_CLOSED_TOOLBAR_TITLE">Report a road closure</string> <string name="REPORT_WRONG_ROAD_INFO_PICKER_TITLE">Select the road</string> <string name="ROAD_CLOSED_ADD_SCHEDULE_PROMPT">Add closure dates and times</string> <string name="ROAD_CLOSED_DIRECTION_ONE_WAY">One way only</string> <string name="ROAD_CLOSED_DIRECTION_PLACEHOLDER">Which way is closed?</string> <string name="ROAD_CLOSED_DIRECTION_PROMPT">Direction</string> <string name="ROAD_CLOSED_DIRECTION_TWO_WAYS">Both ways</string> <string name="ROAD_CLOSED_REASON_CONSTRUCTION">Construction</string> <string name="ROAD_CLOSED_REASON_CRASH">Crash</string> <string name="ROAD_CLOSED_REASON_EVENT">Local Event</string> <string name="ROAD_CLOSED_REASON_NATURE">Nature</string> <string name="ROAD_CLOSED_REASON_NATURE_FALLEN_TREE">Fallen tree</string> <string name="ROAD_CLOSED_REASON_NATURE_FLOOD">Flood</string> <string name="ROAD_CLOSED_REASON_NATURE_MUDSLIDE">Mudslide</string> <string name="ROAD_CLOSED_REASON_NATURE_PLACEHOLDER">Choose which type</string> <string name="ROAD_CLOSED_REASON_NATURE_SNOW_ICE">Snow or ice</string> <string name="ROAD_CLOSED_REASON_NOT_SURE">Not sure</string> <string name="ROAD_CLOSED_REASON_OTHER">Other / Not sure</string> <string name="ROAD_CLOSED_REASON_PROMPT">Reason</string> <string name="ROAD_CLOSED_SCHEDULE_ADD_DATE_TIME">Add details (optional)</string> <string name="ROAD_CLOSED_SCHEDULE_CLOSED_NOW">Closed now?</string> <string name="ROAD_CLOSED_SCHEDULE_END_WHEN">When will the closure end?</string> <string name="ROAD_CLOSED_SCHEDULE_FROM">Start date</string> <string name="ROAD_CLOSED_SCHEDULE_HEADER_PROMPT">When</string> <string name="ROAD_CLOSED_SCHEDULE_INVALID">Change what you entered so the end date is in the future and after the start date</string> <string name="ROAD_CLOSED_SCHEDULE_UNTIL">End date</string>

Transit guidance

<string name="TRANSIT_DIRECTIONS_ONLY_ONE_STOP_SUPPORTED">"Can't give transit directions for multiple stops"</string> <string name="TRANSIT_GUIDANCE_APPROXIMATE_DURATION">About %1$s</string> <string name="TRANSIT_OCCUPANCY_CRUSHED_STANDING_ROOM_ONLY_DESCRIPTION">Crushed standing room only</string> <string name="TRANSIT_OCCUPANCY_FEW_SEATS_AVAILABLE_DESCRIPTION">Few seats available</string> <string name="TRANSIT_OCCUPANCY_MANY_SEATS_AVAILABLE_DESCRIPTION">Many seats available</string> <string name="TRANSIT_OCCUPANCY_STANDING_ROOM_ONLY_DESCRIPTION">Standing room only</string>

These strings are related to thefeature in Google Maps. Users can mark a place as inactive or one which no longer exists (if it’s removed and deleted, for example). There are new accessibility strings for overflow menu answers, and when a user taps the delete button for a question/answer he or she submitted, the app will indicate whether the question/answer was deleted successfully.Users are already able to report road closures via Google Maps, but these strings indicate that they will soon be able to add— anything from why the road is closed to which section of the road is closed and when the closure will end. Users will also be able to report the cause of the road closure (e.g., construction, crashes, fallen trees, and local events).

Google Maps is getting improved transit features. The strings reference a feature called “transit occupancy”, but at this point, there’s not much else to go on. Future versions of Maps will also let users know that it can’t give transit directions for multiple stops, and show the approximate duration of transit guidance.

Error messages

<string name="CANT_FIND_A_WAY_THERE">"Can't find a way there"</string> <string name="CANT_REACH_GOOGLE_MAPS">"Can't reach Google Maps"</string><string name="LOCATION_RESPONSE_ERROR">"Can't find your location. Try again in a few minutes."</string><string name="QUIT_BECAUSE_ANDROID_AUTO_RUNNING">"Your phone can't display Google Maps while Android Auto is running"</string> <string name="SOMETHING_WENT_WRONG">"Something went wrong. Can't get directions there right now."</string>

Maps will show more error messages. There’s a standard location response error and a “Can’t reach Google Maps” error, as well as a customary “Something went wrong” error (which will show up when Maps can’t get directions). There’s also a message about how Google Maps can’t display on the phone’s screen while Android Auto is running.

Miscellaneous

<string name="ACCESSIBILITY_FF_ENTRY_POINT">Question mark</string> <string name="BUSINESS_HOURS_CLOSING_HOURS_TITLE_V2">Closing time</string> <string name="BUSINESS_HOURS_OPENING_HOURS_TITLE_V2">Opening time</string> <string name="TAB_BUTTON_BADGE_CONTENT_DESCRIPTION">Tab has new updates</string>

The first string adds to Maps’s existing accessibility features, while the second and third strings cryptically point to a “V2” feature business opening and closing times. The last one lets users know when a tab button has new updates (for example, when someone posts a new review posted on a point of interest’s Reviews tab).

Let us know in the comments if you spot anything new, and follow our APK Teardown tag for more articles like this!