TechGoogle maps Bluetooth beacons enhance navigation in tunnels

Google maps Bluetooth beacons enhance navigation in tunnels

POLAND - 2020/11/04: In this photo illustration a Google Maps logo seen displayed on a smartphone. (Photo Illustration by Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
POLAND - 2020/11/04: In this photo illustration a Google Maps logo seen displayed on a smartphone. (Photo Illustration by Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Images source: © GETTY, SOPA Images/LightRocket via Gett | SOPA Images
Oskar Ziomek

13 July 2024 12:03

Google Maps offers an important setting that affects the accuracy of locating vehicles in tunnels. This involves Bluetooth beacons that allow the application to position the driver on the map more accurately. This is especially important in long tunnels; it's worth checking this option before your trip.

Bluetooth beacons are small transmitters that record the time vehicles travel in tunnels, provided that the tunnel is equipped with them. This allows for monitoring the vehicle's speed and movement where GPS coverage is limited. In practice, it is an indispensable solution for locating the user travelling in a long tunnel. When travelling to places where you expect such infrastructure, it is worth checking Google Maps settings beforehand.

According to feedback from our readers, Bluetooth beacon support is not always enabled by default in Google Maps. Before going on vacation, as part of preparing for the route, it's worth looking into the settings and verifying whether the switch is properly set. If the function is turned off, during the drive in the tunnel, Google Maps will predict the driver's position on the map based on the typical travel time and entry speed. It is not possible to predict, for example, a traffic jam while driving through a tunnel or other unexpected events this way.

To activate this function, the Google Maps user must go to Navigation Settings, and then find the Bluetooth Beacons in Tunnels section, which is almost at the end of the list. After moving the slider, a notification about permissions will appear - at this stage, it is necessary to allow Google Maps access to the location. From this moment, navigation in tunnels should work more smoothly, provided the beacons are present in the structures.

Preparing for a vacation trip with Google Maps, it is also worth checking other options in the application, which will help you navigate efficiently during vacation and plan the route. Drivers should also pay attention to the road difficulties map prepared by GDDKiA and the somewhat grim but eye-opening police map that records fatal road accidents.

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