Google updates iPhone Maps app with quick search icons

Google has made it easier to find different types of places and look up saved friends’ addresses in the first major update to its Google Maps app for the iPhone.

The Silicon Valley company released the update Tuesday morning, and it can be downloaded now from the Apple App Store.

When users tap the search bar at the top, they’ll be presented with icons for restaurants, coffee shops, bars and gas stations, which they can tap to quickly look for those types of shops. They can also tap a three dot icon to pull up other types of places, including hotels, movie theaters and ATMs.

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“So if you’re in a rush and need a quick coffee, just tap the search box, then the coffee cup icon, to see the cafes closest to you,” Google said in a blog post.

The new update also makes it possible for users to look up their friends addresses by typing their names in the search box. If users have saved their friends’ addresses in Google Contacts, the app will show their address within the search results.

Additionally, Google Maps now lets users choose between miles and kilometers within the settings menu. That should come in handy if you take a trip to Europe and want to try using the metric system.

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