Google Maps app gets spoken traffic alerts

Google continues to enhance the iOS version of its Google Maps app, which has recently been updated to 4.12. The free app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users also includes Apple Watch support. The latest update adds a significant feature: real-time spoken traffic alerts in navigation mode. Ever since Google acquired the popular navigation service Waze over two years ago, real-time traffic alerts have been available in Google Maps. Now drivers will not have to take their eyes off the road to hear about upcoming congestion and incidents on the route ahead.

Google Maps for iOS will also deliver a summary of traffic before the navigation begins. In addition to the spoken traffic information, users can also add new and missing businesses right from the sidebar to help improve Google Maps. Other updates included in version 4.12.0 include bug fixes. For those with Google Maps already installed on their iOS device, the free update requires iOS 7.0 or later and 36.1 MB to download.

Until Apple developed its own Maps app for iOS 6, Google Maps was the default system map across all iOS devices. Once Apple moved on, Google quickly created its own third-party mapping and navigation app for iOS, which some claimed would not be approved for the App Store. Of course, this was not the case as Google Maps and several other mapping and navigation apps have been approved by Apple and are freely available now.

Find the latest Google Maps on iTunes free of charge.