Google announces Maps update to highlight areas of interest

Google has announced on its blog an update to Google Maps, making some visual changes to the service on desktop, Android and iOS, as well as introducing a few additions to help make it easier for users to get to where they want to go.

For a cleaner, clearer look, Google has removed any information that it believes isn't absolutely necessary, such as road traffic outlines, enabling users to find what they need more easily. The typography of street names, points of interest, transit stations, and more has also been improved to make them easier to spot on the map.

The new Maps has also changed the color scheme to help users differentiate more easily between man-made or natural features, and quickly locate important places such as hospitals, schools or highways.

And to make it easier to not only get around but also to have fun, the new maps have shaded orange areas which represent "areas of interest," determined by Google with an algorithmic process that looks at the highest concentration of restaurants, bars and shops.