Google Maps tests showing traffic lights in the US

In a new test, Maps is showing the location of lights in cities around the US in its Android app. The feature was initially spotted by Droid Life, and its existence has since been confirmed by Google. “To help people stay better informed on the road, we're testing a Google Maps feature on Android that shows the location of traffic lights in select cities across the U.S,” the company told The Verge.

Google Maps isn't the first mapping app to start showing traffic light locations in the US, after Apple Maps added them last year with iOS 13, according to Droid Life. Apple's Siri voice assistant even integrates them into its directions. Instead of telling you to turn left after a certain number of feet, Siri can tell you to “turn left at the next traffic light,” in an attempt to make the voice assistant's directions more natural-sounding and easier to understand. Droid Life says that Google Maps doesn't appear to be using the traffic lights as part of its route guidance just yet, however.

This isn't the first time Google Maps has shown traffic lights (they've been available in Japan for a number of years now), but it's a significant expansion for the feature. Google is testing the feature in US cities including New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and says it plans to expand it over time.

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