Someone in India utilized Google Maps for a different purpose. They relied on the location data provided by the navigation app to track down the thief who stole their father’s smartphone. This eventually led to the police apprehending the criminal several hours later.
According to Raj Bhagat P. on X (formerly Twitter), his father was traveling from Nagercoil to Trichy in the sleeper class when an individual boarded the nearly empty train. Within a short time, the stranger stole his father’s bag and mobile phone, and then got off at Tirunelveli Junction.
After a few hours, Raj Bhagat’s father contacted them from a friend’s phone, informing them about the theft and seeking assistance.
Raj Bhagat turned to Google Maps to locate the thief. His father had enabled location sharing on Google Maps, allowing Raj to track his father’s real-time location. Even after the theft, the feature continued to reveal the phone’s location, initiating a search for the thief with the help of the railway police.
Bogdan Popa/Raj Bhagat documented each step in posts on X, explaining that the thief initially got lost in the crowd, but his location was once again exposed thanks to Google Maps. Within minutes, they were able to locate him again, and Raj confronted him at the Anna bus stand. Recognizing his father’s bag, they enlisted the help of other individuals at the bus station to apprehend the thief and notify the police.
Upon further investigation by law enforcement, it was discovered that the man was a repeat offender, having stolen and consumed other electronic devices, including Bluetooth earphones.
Google Maps incorporates location-sharing functionality, allowing users to inform others of their whereabouts. This feature is available on both Android and iPhone devices.
Additionally, other applications, such as WhatsApp, the leading messaging service, also offer support for live location sharing. WhatsApp enables users to share their current or live location directly within a conversation.
While Google Maps provides the option for permanent location sharing, most users typically enable it temporarily, usually until they reach their destination. This feature allows users to share their location with individuals who have a Google account. The data can be viewed directly in Google Maps if the app is installed on the mobile device, or through a web-based version of Google Maps if the recipient does not have a Google account.
Bogdan Popa/Google Maps continues to evolve, with Google constantly introducing new features that enhance its navigation and non-navigation capabilities.
One of the upcoming improvements for Google Maps on Android Auto is the addition of 3D buildings. While this feature already exists on mobile devices, Google is now working on integrating it into the Android Auto interface.
The latest update of Google Maps is now available to users worldwide, although there are some variations in its behavior that still need refinement. For instance, the feature that enables 3D buildings is only accessible in the light theme for certain users, while others can only access it in the dark mode. Nevertheless, once the 3D buildings are installed on your device, they are automatically enabled, and there is now a new toggle in the settings screen that allows users to disable this feature if desired.
In addition to navigation enhancements, Google Maps is introducing more innovative capabilities, such as Immersive View. This significant update, announced two years ago, provides users with a multi-dimensional view of the world, incorporating satellite imagery, street-level photos, and other details like the weather forecast.
Due to the extensive amount of data required to create this multi-dimensional view, Immersive View is currently only available in limited regions. However, Google has promised to expand its availability to more locations in the future.
Immersive View has also evolved to include a feature called Immersive View for routes. With this component, users can preview their routes before embarking on a journey, offering a detailed look at every turn, including realistic representations of buildings and trees. This allows drivers to become more familiar with their routes in advance, enhancing safety and predictability during their trips.
Despite the existence of a native alternative on the iPhone, Google Maps remains the dominant mobile navigation app worldwide, both on Android and iPhone platforms. It is considered the more comprehensive option compared to Apple Maps, offering additional features like satellite navigation. Although Apple Maps also provides satellite maps, this view is disabled when navigation is activated. Additionally, offline maps were only recently introduced to Apple Maps with the release of iOS 17.
Here is a personal account of how Google Maps assisted in the recovery of stolen items from a moving train, as shared by @rajbhagatt on Twitter on February 4, 2024.