GPS positioning on the ground is common and accurate, but when vehicles are moving through a road tunnel, the signal is no longer reliable. Recently, Google Maps on Android has added the ability to locate and navigate in tunnel spaces using Bluetooth beacons.
Waze, another mapping app acquired by Google in 2013, has had a similar location feature for quite some time. Bluetooth beacons help improve accuracy in tunnels by using Bluetooth signals to scan and pinpoint locations, similar to the technology used in some shopping malls in cities across the US.
Positioning in tunnels is inaccurate because GPS signals cannot penetrate the ground surface.
On Google Maps, the Bluetooth beacon tunnel location feature is disabled by default, but users can proactively turn it on in the Driving Options section in Settings > Navigation Settings . The system describes this feature as "scanning Bluetooth beacons to improve location accuracy in tunnel environments." Users will need to grant permission to Google Maps so that the application can automatically find and connect to surrounding devices to serve the location process.
Some users said they had experienced the new feature since October 2023, but it was not announced and released globally by Google until mid-January 2024. However, only Android users can use it at the moment, while iPhone owners will have to wait a bit longer.
In addition to Bluetooth positioning, Google's map service has recently upgraded with a number of new features, including suggestions for charging points for electric vehicles.
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