Google is quietly testing a new feature for Google Maps that will show you where traffic lights are

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Google is quietly testing a new feature for Google Maps that will show you where traffic lights are
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  • Google is testing a new feature that shows the location of traffic lights in Google Maps.
  • The feature is only being tested on Android at the moment.
  • Apple Maps is already capable of showing traffic light and stop sign locations.
  • The move comes after Google announced several new features for Maps in recent months.
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Google Maps may be able to show you the location of traffic lights on your next drive.

The tech giant is testing a new feature that displays the locations of traffic lights in Google Maps, the company confirmed to Business Insider. Droid Life and The Verge first reported the news.

"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 US," a Google spokesperson told Business Insider.

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Based on screenshots published by Droid Life, the traffic-light icons appear both when you're viewing an area in Google Maps and when you're navigating to a particular location. The icons appear to grow in size when in navigation mode.

Google has already been offering this feature for Google Maps in Japan, but it's now testing an expansion of this capability. Traffic lights should be visible in Google Maps on Android in most major cities, such as New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

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Apple also shows traffic lights and stop signs when providing driving directions in Apple Maps.

The expansion is one of several new capabilities Google has added to its navigation app recently. The search giant also recently announced features like the ability to see the times of day when transit stations are most busy and a setting for prioritizing information about wheelchair-accessible locations.

Apple is also preparing to roll out some big updates to Apple Maps when its iOS 14 update launches in the fall, such as the addition of cycling directions and local guides.

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