Google Maps Street View gets split-screen UI on Android

Google has rolled out an update on Google Maps that makes the service’s Street View feature a tad bit easier to use. A new report by 9To5Google indicates that Google Maps’ Street View feature is getting a split-screen user interface on Android.

The report states that the new UI launches automatically when users access Maps’ Street View feature after dropping a pin in the map. However, if users try accessing the Street View feature directly from a location’s listing, Maps shows the regular interface covering the entire display. Users also get a Minimize button in the bottom-right corner of Maps in Street View.

In split view, Maps highlights paths with street-level imagery in Blue (via Reddit). Photo Spheres taken by the users, on the other hand, are highlighted as dots. The report says that users can tap anywhere in the map and the circular marker with the arrow will show the directions for the place.

This new feature is being rolled out as a server-side update on Google Maps, which means users don’t have to update the app manually to get access to this feature. The catch, however, is that as of now, it is available only on the company’s Android app. There is no word on when the iOS app will get the same.

Notably, the update comes shortly after the company announced that Maps had become better for users using the app in Indian languages. The app had incorporated learning models that automatically transliterate the names of points of interest (POIs) to 10 local languages, which includes Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Punjabi, and Odia.