Hitting the Android Market in the U.S. and Japan today, the company’s ever-popular app gets a full version bump to 6.0, bringing with it the inclusion of retail and airport floor plans. The newly added indoor maps don’t quite offer the turn-by-turn navigation you’ve come to know and depend upon, but the provided layouts should help usher you along to the nearest bathroom, clothing shop or elevator. There’s no fancy equipment at use, either. All of your positioning information is culled from the same set of data (including GPS) used for “My Location,” although here it’s been optimized to detect movement along the z-axis. Try a nifty feature called “Automatic Floor Detection” that’ll keep track of your progress as you move about from escalator to escalator. Google’s also endeavoring to extend its indoor reach, opening up its mapping inventory with a self-service tool (currently in beta) that’ll allow business owners to upload floor plans directly to Maps.

“My Location” feature, which shows your location as a blue dot, you can see where you are on the map to avoid walking the wrong direction on city streets, or to get your bearings if you’re hiking an unfamiliar trail. Google Maps also displays additional details, such as places, landmarks and geographical features, to give you context about what’s nearby.

Take Google Maps Indoors

Initially partnered with some of the largest retailers, airports and transit stations in the U.S. and Japan, including:
- Mall of America, IKEA, The Home Depot, select Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, Daimaru, Takashimaya and Mitsukoshi locations and more. Watch an IKEA demo here.
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Narita International (NRT), among others.
- JR and Tokyu Corporation

Find your way around the airport using Google Maps on your Android phone. The Google Maps indoor display details the airport’s layout, from one terminal to the next. Figure out how to get from the newsstand to your gate, right from the palm of your hand. Start here. Download here.

Take Google Maps inside the Airport

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