Google Maps to start showing traffic lights on Android devices

Google Maps to start showing traffic lights on Android devices

Google is reportedly working on to bring a new feature to Maps that might help us navigate better and reach our destination on time. The tech giant might soon start showing traffic light icons on Android phones to reflect if our route is clear or filled with traffic lights. 

The unannounced feature was spotted by Droidlife and confirmed to The Verge. “To help people stay better informed on the road, we’re testing a Google Maps feature on Android that shows the location of traffic lights in select cities across the U.S,” the company said.

The traffic light icon is not available to everyone on Google Maps and limited to only a handful of Android users. It is being tested in US cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and the company says it will expand it over time. 

Droidlife notes Google Maps is not the first web mapping service to show traffic light locations in the US. Apple had released the feature alongside stop signs on its Maps with the launch of iOS 13. Its voice-assistant Siri, in fact, uses traffic lights to tell the directions to its users, for example - "Turn left at the next traffic light." to make navigation easier. But, Google Maps is reportedly not working on to use traffic lights to guide the route to the users yet, it is simply testing to show the location of traffic lights on the way. 

Google had recently confirmed that it will inform users about COVID-19-related travel restrictions on Maps to help commuters plan their trips better and provide them with information about how crowded public transport is. This functionality is also yet to make its way to the Maps. 

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