On iOS and Android, Google Maps now has an Air Quality Index and a Wildfire Layer.
On both Android and iOS, Google Maps now includes a new feature that displays the air quality index for users in the United States. This function, according to Google, has been useful for users in determining if the air quality in the United States is smoggy, smoky, awful, or simply great. The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a metric that indicates how clean (or dirty) the air is. The index will also include outdoor activity suggestions, as well as information on when the content was last updated and links to learn more. A new wildfire layer has also been added to Maps, which provides information on active flames in your area.
Google Maps is getting new capabilities, according to a blog post published on Wednesday by the search giant.
The air quality index and a new wildfire layer in the Google Maps mobile app are among the new features. The features are currently only available in the United States. Both capabilities will be available on Android and iOS devices, allowing users to check the air quality index (AQI), which is a measure of how clean the air is. Based on the AQI, it will also make recommendations for outside activities. Google Maps also displays air quality data from PurpleAir, which is described as a low-cost sensor network that provides users with a more hyperlocal perspective of conditions.
The air quality layer, on the other hand, displays data from government bodies such as the US Environmental Protection Agency, according to Google.
By hitting the button in the upper right corner of the Google Maps mobile app’s screen and selecting the “Air Quality” option under Map information, users can add the air quality index to their map.
Meanwhile, Google Maps has teamed with the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) to provide information for the wildfire layer. Users can learn more about ongoing fires in the locations they are visiting in the United States. Users can enable this option before going out, and they can also utilise Search to seek for “Wildfires Near Me” to learn about major wildfires in their area.
According to the firm, Google Maps will integrate smoke data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to their air quality information on Google Search in the coming months.
