Google Maps heads inside

Nov 29, 2011, 22:56 GMT

San Francisco - Google Maps can now help you navigate inside buildings, the web search giant announced Tuesday.

The mobile app, which is automatically installed on the more than 200 million smartphones that run the Google Android operating system, has long been a popular tool for transport navigation.

But thanks to the latest update, it can now also help users find their way around large buildings like shopping malls, airports, department stores and even the cavernous warehouses of IKEA furniture stores.

'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,' Brian McClendon, vice president of Engineering for Google Earth and Maps, wrote in a blog post.

'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.'

The new features are currently only available in selected locations in the US and Japan, but more countries will be added in the near future.