Editing Google Maps (section)

=== 2005–2010 ===
[[File:Google Maps Beta.png|thumb|Google Maps Beta in 2005]]
The launch of Google Maps was first announced on the Google Blog on February 8, 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2005/02/mapping-your-way.html|title= Mapping your way |date= February 8, 2005 |first1=Bret |last1=Taylor |publisher=Official Google Blog|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100525190011/http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2005/02/mapping-your-way.html |archive-date=May 25, 2010 |url-status=live|access-date=January 12, 2010}}</ref>

In September 2005, in the aftermath of [[Hurricane Katrina]], Google Maps quickly updated its satellite imagery of [[New Orleans]] to allow users to view the extent of the flooding in various parts of that city.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna17880969|title=Google accused of airbrushing Katrina history|date=March 30, 2007|publisher=NBC News |agency=The Associated Press |access-date=April 17, 2020|archive-date=November 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103150201/https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna17880969|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/search/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=198701867 |first1= Thomas |last1=Claburn |title=Google Restores Katrina's Scars To Google Earth|date=April 2, 2007|publisher=Information Week|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090819110834/http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/search/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=198701867|archive-date=August 19, 2009|url-status=dead }}</ref>

As of 2007, Google Maps was equipped with a miniature view with a draggable rectangle that denotes the area shown in the main viewport, and "Info windows" for previewing details about locations on maps.<ref>{{Cite web|website=Google Maps |title=Google Maps User Guide|url=http://maps.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=68259#overview|access-date=2021-11-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071105004439/http://maps.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=68259#overview|archive-date=November 5, 2007}}</ref> As of 2024, this feature had been removed (likely several years prior).
[[File:175-free-google-maps-pointer.svg|left|thumb|106x106px|Original Google Maps icon]]
On November 28, 2007, Google Maps for Mobile 2.0 was released.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://googlepress.blogspot.no/2007/11/google-announces-launch-of-google-maps_28.html|title=Google Announces Launch of Google Maps for Mobile With "My Location" Technology|date=November 28, 2007|website=News from Google|access-date=April 25, 2017|archive-date=April 26, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170426060108/http://googlepress.blogspot.no/2007/11/google-announces-launch-of-google-maps_28.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Marshall-2007">{{cite web|url=https://venturebeat.com/2007/11/28/google-releases-killer-my-location-feature-for-cellphones/|title=Google releases useful "my location" feature for cellphones|last=Marshall|first=Matt|date=November 28, 2007|website=[[VentureBeat]]|access-date=April 25, 2017|archive-date=April 25, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170425205258/https://venturebeat.com/2007/11/28/google-releases-killer-my-location-feature-for-cellphones/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Schonfeld-2007">{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2007/11/28/google-mobile-maps-pinpoints-your-location-without-gps/|title=Google Mobile Maps PinPoints Your Location Without GPS|last=Schonfeld|first=Erick|date=November 28, 2007|website=[[TechCrunch]]|publisher=[[AOL]]|access-date=April 25, 2017|archive-date=April 26, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170426055735/https://techcrunch.com/2007/11/28/google-mobile-maps-pinpoints-your-location-without-gps/|url-status=live}}</ref> It featured a [[Software release life cycle#Beta|beta version]] of a "My Location" feature, which uses the GPS / [[Assisted GPS]] location of the mobile device, if available, supplemented by determining the nearest [[Wi-Fi|wireless networks]] and [[cell site]]s.<ref name="Marshall-2007" /><ref name="Schonfeld-2007" /> The software looks up the location of the cell site using a database of known wireless networks and sites.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/29/google_mobile_maps/|title=Google Maps Mobile knows where you are|last=Ray|first=Bill|date=November 29, 2007|website=[[The Register]]|publisher=Situation Publishing|access-date=April 25, 2017|archive-date=October 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025113145/https://www.theregister.com/2007/11/29/google_mobile_maps/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/google-maps-for-mobile-adds-my-location-feature/|title=Google Maps for Mobile adds 'My Location' feature|last=Mills|first=Elinor|date=November 28, 2007|website=[[CNET]]|publisher=[[CBS Interactive]]|access-date=April 25, 2017|archive-date=October 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029102554/https://www.cnet.com/news/google-maps-for-mobile-adds-my-location-feature/|url-status=live}}</ref> By [[Surface triangulation|triangulating]] the different signal strengths from cell transmitters and then using their location property (retrieved from the database), My Location determines the user's current location.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imore.com/google-maps-my-location|title=Google Maps: My Location|last=Overbo|first=Mike|date=November 28, 2007|website=iMore|access-date=April 25, 2017|archive-date=April 26, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170426060058/http://www.imore.com/google-maps-my-location|url-status=live}}</ref>

Google Maps launched in India in 2008.<ref name="Bhattacharya-2025">{{Cite web |last=Bhattacharya |first=Ananya |date=2025-02-05 |title=Is Google Maps fatally misleading drivers in India? It's complicated |url=https://restofworld.org/2025/google-maps-india-misdirection-fatal-accidents/ |access-date=2025-04-22 |website=[[Rest of World]] |language=en-US}}</ref> On September 23, 2008, coinciding with the announcement of the [[HTC Dream|first commercial Android device]], Google announced that a Google Maps app had been released for its Android operating system.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://googlemobile.blogspot.se/2008/09/google-on-android.html|title=Google on Android|last=Vanlerberghe|first=Mac|date=September 23, 2008|website=Google Mobile Blog|access-date=April 30, 2017|archive-date=December 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207194122/http://googlemobile.blogspot.se/2008/09/google-on-android.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://googleblog.blogspot.se/2008/09/first-android-powered-phone.html|title=The first Android-powered phone|last=Tseng|first=Erick|date=September 23, 2008|website=Official Google Blog|access-date=April 30, 2017|archive-date=December 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207192639/https://googleblog.blogspot.se/2008/09/first-android-powered-phone.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In October 2009, Google replaced [[Tele Atlas]] as their primary supplier of geospatial data in the US version of Maps and used their own data.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blumenthals.com/blog/2009/10/12/google-replaces-tele-atlas-data-in-us-with-google-data/|title=Google Replaces Tele Atlas Data in US with Google StreetView Data|date=October 12, 2009|publisher=blumenthals.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091015145712/http://blumenthals.com/blog/2009/10/12/google-replaces-tele-atlas-data-in-us-with-google-data/|archive-date=October 15, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref>