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Google Maps in beta status will tell you where parking is free and where you’ll have to pay for a spot in the latest version of the Android app which is going live now for users. Once the update is installed on devices it should push users forward to version 9.51, and with this feature now being available in the beta channel of the app it shouldn’t be too long before Google rolls this feature out to the stable version, though there is no way to know exactly when Google might facilitate the update that will includes this feature.
The way that the feature will work is that if you type in a destination in Maps for where you plan to go, when you tap on the results page of your destination there will be a new category which displays whether or not the location has customer free parking. This should be helpful in planning out which route you’ll take and ultimately where you’ll end up as you’ll be able to decide if you need to park somewhere further away of it means not having to spend money.
In addition to the new parking indicators, the beta version of Maps also will now display if the destination you’re headed to has parking at that specific location or if you will have to find parking elsewhere nearby, another useful piece of information that will make using the app that much easier if you frequently use it for finding directions to places you go. These seem to be the only two new things within the app following the update that are actually usable, but there are other new features which seem to be coming that Google has started prepping in this latest update. Eventually it appears that Maps will be able to offer suggestion lists of parking lots near a destination that’s been entered into the app. So if you search for a new place to go have dinner, when this feature is live it will be able to search for parking lots in the area and then show you a list of results. Lastly, Google seems to be setting up Maps to where it can offer users details on when a route will have slow traffic at certain points during the trip. If you’re using the Google Maps Beta but you haven’t been updated to the latest version, you can pick up the APK from the button below.
Download Google Maps Beta v9.51 APK
