Google Maps 5.7 for Android

Google 5.7 for Android has been released and it comes with a lot of really useful new options.

Transit Navigation
One of the biggest additions to Google Maps for Android in this release is Transit Navigation. Google has added turn-by-turn (or stop-by-stop) directions to the public transit systems of over 400 cities around the world.



Transit Navigation can help you catch the right train or bus and alerts you when it’s time to get off or make a transfer.

Offline Maps
One of the biggest requests for Google Maps for Android has been the option to view maps when the user has no data connection. Google don't seem to be promoting this function but Droid Life noticed that this feature has been added under the Labs tab.

If you head into Labs (Menu>More>Labs) and select “Download Map Area” option, you can download maps to your phone to give you offline viewing when you don't have a connection.

Google+
If you have downloaded the Google+ app for Android you can now also post your location to your Google+ stream directly from Google Maps. If you check into a venue using Google Latitude your current location can then be posted to your Google+ stream.

Official Google Mobile Blog

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