Google Maps gets a new icon, transit features, and more for 15th birthday

It might be hard to believe, but Google Maps is 15 years old as of this week. While most 15-year-olds are probably procrastinating on homework and not listening to their parents, one of the biggest names in online mapping is getting a mild redesign and some swanky new features.

First and foremost, the app is getting a bit of an immediate refresh. A new update will expand the bottom of the home screen from three tabs into five: Explore, Commute, Saved, Contribute, and Updates. You can see what each looks like below:

Explore still works much like it always has, highlighting things you should check out in the area. Commute is, well, a tab for your various commutes. There's some cool new stuff in there, but we'll get to that in a bit. Saved is a place where you can create and curate lists of whatever you want, from restaurants you've been meaning to try to your favorite shopping destinations. Contribute lets you share whatever knowledge you have of local institutions to make their Maps pages better, and Updates is basically a trending page for "must-see spots" nearby. Read more...