Google Maps has made another major update, adding many useful features for getting around. In total, the update includes more than 100 improvements, many of which are powered by AI and machine learning.

Features added to Google Maps include indoor live view, more environmentally friendly route planning, pollution maps, and more. Below are the biggest changes coming to Google Maps this year and what the updates mean.

One of the more interesting features to hit Google Maps in 2019 was Live View, which allows users to see directions in a real-world context using AR. This update brings Live View to indoor locations as well, which is good news since indoor locations are often difficult to navigate.

The principle is the same, but recent advances have allowed Google Maps to better understand altitude and the placement of objects within buildings.

Indoor Live View is already available on Android and iOS, with AR directions available for many malls in Chicago, Long Island, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle. It will also be rolled out in shopping malls, airports, and other transportation facilities in Tokyo and Zurich in the coming months. Other cities will eventually roll out as well, but Google has not revealed when.

Your phone already has a weather app pre-installed, but Google is now looking to roll these features out to Google Maps.

The weather layer allows you to see the current and forecast weather for the area. Another new layer will tell you the air quality in the area.

Both layers rely on data from a number of third parties, including The Weather Company, AirNow.gov, and the Central Pollution Board. The weather layer is available worldwide, while the air quality layer is initially limited to Australia, India, and the U.S.

Weather and air pollution are available on Android and iOS and will be rolled out in the "coming months."

Driving is far from the most environmentally friendly way to get around unless you use the best electric cars, but Google Maps can help make your trip as environmentally friendly as possible.

Part of it involves a new routing model, built in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, that optimizes your trip for fuel consumption.

When this new feature is launched, Google Maps will automatically default to the route with the lowest carbon footprint. This is because the increased efficiency of fuel consumption will eliminate the need to frequently fill up with gasoline.

It is important to note here that the newly optimized route will have roughly the same ETA as the fastest route available. Of course, if speed is everything, you can always tell Google that you want to use the fastest route no matter what. This new route optimization feature will launch on Android and iOS in the US later this year, and will then be rolled out globally.

In another update for drivers, Google Maps will also alert you if you are heading into a low-emission zone. That way, you can avoid areas where cars are not allowed, saving you the hassle and fees associated with not being a zero-emission or low-emission vehicle. This will be introduced in Germany, the Netherlands, France, Spain, and the UK in June.

When it comes to sustainability, nothing beats traveling by alternative modes of transportation, such as public transportation, walking, or biking. To simplify the trip planning process, Google will launch a new directions interface that allows users to easily switch between different routes and transfer options.

In addition, Google Maps employs machine learning to remember how you prefer to navigate and prioritize the options you are most likely to use. Furthermore, switching between different ways of getting around will not require switching between different tabs on the screen, as is currently the case.

Google Maps also takes into account the locational context and pushes popular transportation options wherever you are. So if you are in a city like New York or London, the underground subway route will appear at the top of your list of transportation options.

This feature will be rolled out on Android and iOS devices in the "coming months."

Despite the incredible work spent on vaccinating people, COVID still exists. During the pandemic, grocery stores and other retailers have made shopping safer by offering curbside pickup.

Updates to Google Maps and Search will add relevant information to business profiles, such as businesses offering curbside pickup, details on delivery windows, minimum order quantities, and other fees that must be paid.

This additional information will initially appear on Instacart and Albertsons Cos profiles in the US search results, but will be expanded to maps and other businesses in the near future.

Google Maps is also partnering with supermarket Fred Meyer, which will be implementing a pilot scheme to make grocery pickup even easier in Portland, Oregon.

Once a pickup order is placed, the location will be added to the map. The app will then tell you the departure time and notify the store of your ETA so that you can order as soon as you arrive.