Google is Now Mapping the Indoors, Starting With Airports, Malls, and Stores

Google has announced that it's expanding Maps to the Indoors; starting with Airports, Malls, and Retail Stores.

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When you're inside an airport, shopping mall or retail store, a common way to figure out where you are is to look for a freestanding map directory or ask an employee for help. Starting today, with the release of Google Maps 6.0 for Android, that directory is brought to the palm of your hands, helping you determine where you are, what floor you're on, and where to go indoors.

Detailed floor plans automatically appear when you're viewing the map and zoomed in on a building where indoor map data is available. The familiar "blue dot" icon indicates your location within several meters, and when you move up or down a level in a building with multiple floors, the interface will automatically update to display which floor you're on. All this is achieved by using an approach similar to that of 'My Location' for outdoor spaces, but fine tuned for indoors.
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Google has 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, Taskashimaya 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

If you're a business owner interested in getting your location's floor plan included in Google Maps, visit maps.google.com/floorplans.

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