Google Maps is testing a feature that shows you where to enter a building

Have you ever driven to an unfamiliar building only to find out the entrance is on another street or the other side of the building entirely? Google Maps may soon make this a thing of the past.

First spotted by Android Police, Google Maps is testing a feature that shows the entrance and exit of buildings. This comes not long after the rollout of an immersive view in Maps that uses AI to give users a 3D look at a location and “Glanceable Directions” that appear on your phone’s lock screen. 

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The test isn’t working for buildings in all cities yet, but it is for several large ones, including San Francisco, Las Vegas, and New York City. For some hotels, doctors’ offices, grocery stores, cafes, restaurants, and retail stores, a white circle with a door icon appears to indicate where to enter. Some tests are showing a small white circle with an arrow instead of a door, but both versions only appear when the map is zoomed in nearly all the way.

Late last year, the company introduced a similar feature for public transit, showing the exact entrance and exit for transit stations in more than 80 cities, including what side of the street they’re on.

This doesn’t appear to be a beta feature, but one that only specific devices have access to right now. It wasn’t available on my Pixel 8 Pro that’s enrolled in the beta or a Pixel 6 that’s not, and both devices are updated to the latest version of Maps. So far, the feature has only been reported on the Pixel 7a.

Also: Google Maps’ new ‘glanceable directions’ feature means safer driving with less battery drain

Android Police notes that in some cases, the marked entrance is incorrect. That fact combined with the limited test and varying icons indicates that this feature is very early on in development.

It’s likely that this feature is still some time away from being fully rolled out, but once it is, it could be a very useful one, especially if Maps takes you to the entrance instead of the actual street address.

Have you ever driven to an unfamiliar building only to find out the entrance is on another street or the other side of the building entirely? Google Maps may soon make this a thing of the past.

First spotted by Android Police, Google Maps is testing a feature that shows the entrance and exit of buildings. This comes not long after the rollout of an immersive view in Maps that uses AI to give users a 3D look at a location and “Glanceable Directions” that appear on your phone’s lock screen. 

Also: The best satellite phones

The test isn’t working for buildings in all cities yet, but it is for several large ones, including San Francisco, Las Vegas, and New York City. For some hotels, doctors’ offices, grocery stores, cafes, restaurants, and retail stores, a white circle with a door icon appears to indicate where to enter. Some tests are showing a small white circle with an arrow instead of a door, but both versions only appear when the map is zoomed in nearly all the way.

Late last year, the company introduced a similar feature for public transit, showing the exact entrance and exit for transit stations in more than 80 cities, including what side of the street they’re on.

This doesn’t appear to be a beta feature, but one that only specific devices have access to right now. It wasn’t available on my Pixel 8 Pro that’s enrolled in the beta or a Pixel 6 that’s not, and both devices are updated to the latest version of Maps. So far, the feature has only been reported on the Pixel 7a.

Also: Google Maps’ new ‘glanceable directions’ feature means safer driving with less battery drain

Android Police notes that in some cases, the marked entrance is incorrect. That fact combined with the limited test and varying icons indicates that this feature is very early on in development.

It’s likely that this feature is still some time away from being fully rolled out, but once it is, it could be a very useful one, especially if Maps takes you to the entrance instead of the actual street address.