Google Maps on Android in the UK

Now that Google have added UK navigation to its Google Maps product on the Android platform, I thought I put together this quick walk-thru on how to use it. This...

Now that Google have added UK navigation to its Google Maps product on the Android platform, I thought I put together this quick walk-thru on how to use it.

This is using version 4.1.1 of Google Maps on Android 1.6.  If you are using the stock install of Google Maps as came with Android, you’ll need to go to the Android Market and install the Google Maps update.

Or you could use the Barcode Scanner application on your Android phone to scan this barcode:

So, here we go.

Set up the shortcut

Find a space on your Android home screen, and tap-hold on it.
When the ‘Add to Home screen’ menu appears, tap on ‘Shortcuts’

At the ‘Select shortcut’ menu, choose ‘Directions & Navigation’

The ‘Directions & Navigation’ screen will appear.

In the ‘Destination’ field, type in the name of the place you are trying to find.
Any destinations you have typed into Google Maps on your phone previously may be offered as suggestions.

Then, in the ‘Shortcut’ field type a friendly name.
This is the name that will appear with your icon on the homescreen.
You can also choose from a number of shortcut icons at the bottom.

So, once you’ve tapped ‘Save’, you’ll be sent back to your home screen and look!  There’s your icon!

Run Navigation

Tap on that shortcut when you’re ready to launch Navigation.
You’ll start with a minimal, but somewhat impressive, splash screen.

Then, assuming you have a GPS fix, it’ll present you with your starting position.

Now,  you’ll probably have been asked if you want to install the Text to Speech engine for the navigation.  If you do, be assured that there is a Mute option in the Menu! ;o)  You might also want to consider changing the speech speed.  I personally found it too fast.  You can change this in the main Android settings from the home screen.

It probably goes without saying that if you started driving around at this point, you’ll start getting visual and verbal instructions on where to go next.  Sometimes the instructions can be a little vague, like when travelling southbound down the M18 towards the M1, where you can get in the lane 1 to go north or lanes 2 or 3 to go south, Navigation says something like “Continue towards the M1″ – useful(!)

Disclaimer: Please exercise caution and adherence to the law when using mobile navigation devices whilst driving.

Whilst you’re not driving, you can check out the top-level overview of your selected route by pressing Menu and tapping ‘Route Info’

Then you’ll see this:

Useful for a holistic view of where you’re going from/to.

You can also view a step-by-step overview of your selected route, by either pressing Menu and tapping ‘More’ and then ‘Directions List’ or by pressing the box-with-lines-in from the overview screen.

or 

This will show you the following:

If you want to get a bit more detail about a specific step on your route, simply tap on that step:

This will show you a 3D map representation of the point on your route that you tapped on.

Yes, my GPS dropped out at that point!

And this is where it gets just a little sexy…
If you click on the little man icon:

You’ll jump to the Street View of that location – sweet!

Then clicking on the little twisty man button, like so:

… will switch you into Street View proper, so you can follow your selected route through Google’s Street View service.

So there it is, an early look at the Google Maps UK Navigation for Android.

I hope you found it useful.