Google Maps updated with ride service tab and Spotlight search

Be that as it may, Google Maps remains an excellent navigation and travel app. And it continues to be more and more excellent with the arrival of new features and enhancements such as the ones it has just received through its latest update, most notably including a dedicated tab for ride-sharing and taxi-hailing services.

Google Maps has long been offering driving, walking, biking and transit directions and data to help you get to where you want to go as quickly as possible.

Now, Google Maps has been updated with built-in options for finding ride-sharing and taxi-hailing services.

“When you search for directions using Google Maps on your mobile device, we’ll show you a dedicated tab with information for ride services — in addition to the existing car, transit, walking, or biking options you’re familiar with,” Google notes. “So when you’re leaving work to meet a friend for dinner, you can easily compare your options to find the fastest way there, without having to open multiple apps.”

The new tab for ride services features Uber, which is globally available and has long been supported by Google Maps, along with five new providers across five countries: 99Taxis in Brazil, Ola Cabs in India, Hailo in the U.K. and Spain, mytaxi in Germany and Spain, and Gett in the U.K.

If you have at least one of these apps installed on your iOS device, you’ll see fare estimates and pick-up times when you tap the ride service tab in Google Maps. Just select a service to be taken directly to the corresponding app, all set for you to book your ride.

The latest update to Google Maps for iOS also adds integration with Spotlight and support for saving route options.

Now, you can use Spotlight search to find and directly view the places you recently looked at in Google Maps as well as the places you’ve saved in the app.

You can now also save your driving, walking and bicycling route options by tapping the triple-dot icon when viewing the map in directions, tapping Route Options in the pop-up menu, and turning on the switch for “Save current settings.”

The latest update to Google Maps also delivers bug fixes.

Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad running iOS 7.0 or later, Google Maps is available on the App Store for free.

Previous updates to Google Maps in recent months brought spoken traffic alerts, offline maps, support for adding a stop along a current route, and more.