Обзор This upcoming Google Maps feature could make virtual exploration easier, and here’s a look

[Обзор]

Megan Ellis / Android Authority


TL;DR

• Google Maps could soon add a new “Aerial” button to Street View.
• The Aerial button will allow for a quick and seamless transition to Satellite View and back.
• The Aerial button even remembers the direction from Street View when transitioning into Satellite View, enhancing the user experience.

Google Maps has a ton of great features that make it one of the best navigation apps on Android. One such feature is Street View, which presents users with images of the actual street and surroundings in mapped areas. Street View allows users to explore neighborhoods virtually, but there isn’t a clean method to seamlessly transition from Street View to Satellite View (which is also useful for virtual exploration). Google could soon solve this with a new Aerial button that lets users transition from Street View to Satellite View in a matter of seconds.


Google Maps v25.39.07 includes code for a new option to switch between Aerial View (i.e., Satellite View) and Street View while you are in Street View. We managed to activate the button ahead of its release for an early look:

AssembleDebug / Android Authority


In the above screenshot, you can spot the new Aerial button in the bottom left of the Street View image window.


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Here’s a quick demo of the button in action, though note that the actual experience will likely be smoother on faster network connections:


The Aerial button essentially brings users to a top-down, close-up of the Satellite View, and it works across both the 2D and 3D satellite maps. When in Aerial/Satellite View, the button lets you switch back to Street View.


Google has put in good work in the transition animations, and Maps even remembers the direction you were in Street View when switching to Satellite View. It’s a great way to explore a neighborhood before your visit, and coupled with the improvements to public transport navigation, it elevates the Google Maps experience.


The new Aerial button is not currently available to users, but it could roll out in the future. We’ll keep you updated when we learn more.


⚠️ An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release.


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