Google Maps for Android moves indoors

Google has just announced a new feature for its Maps application for Android devices. The app can now show  indoor maps of selected Australian airports, shopping centres, train stations, sports venues and other locations.

Over 200 locations are available with the feature, ranging from Flinders Street Station in Melbourne and The Sydney Opera House right to small shopping centres like Stockland Bathurst.

Google says that the indoor option will automatically appear when you zoom into a particular building that has this feature. The app uses Wi-Fi or mobile network towers to determine your location rather than the phones built in GPS, as that quite often doesn’t work in buildings.

The app will help you to determine where you are, what level you’re on and how to get where you want to go, acting like an indoor directory in the palm of your hand. The Google Australia blog says that:

“In some locations, you’ll even be able to use the familiar “blue dot” icon that indicates your approximate location — even when you’re inside. This means that when you move up or down a level in a building with multiple floors, the map will automatically update to display which floor you’re on.”

The blue dot feature will only be available in select buildings, however, more buildings will continue to be added throughout the rest of the year.

There’s no word on an iOS version as of yet, although, I don’t think it will be too far away as Google has been upping its support for its apps on iOS immensely as of late.

The full list of available buildings are below.

Shopping Centres

Albany Brooks Garden Shopping Centre
Albury Centre
Albury Shopping Centre
Altone Park Marketplace
Belmont Shopping Centre
Brandon Park Shopping Centre
Burnie Centre
Canberra Centre
Carlingford Court
Castle Towers Shopping Centre
Casuarina Square
Centro Armidale
Centro Arndale
Centro Bankstown
Centro Box Hill South
Centro Colonnades
Centro Cranbourne
Centro Dianella
Centro Flinders
Centro Keilor Shopping Centre
Centro Somerville Shopping Center
Centro Whitehorse
Centro Whitsunday Shopping Centre
Charlestown Square
Chifley Plaza
Dandenong Plaza
Eastland Shopping Centre
Emerald Market Plaza
Emerald Village
Forestway Shopping Centre
Galleria Centre
Glenorchy Centre
Grand Central Shopping Centre
Gympie Shopping Centre
Halls Head Centre
Harbourside Sydney
Highpoint Shopping Centre
Hyperdome Brisbane
Kalamunda Centre
Karratha Shopping Centre
Kiama Centre
Kurralta Centre
Lavington Shopping Centre
Lennox Shopping Centre
Lutwyche Shopping Centre
Maddington Shopping Centre
Maitland Hunter Mall
Mandurah Shopping Centre
Meadow Mews Centre
Melbourne Central Shopping Centre
Melville Plaza
Mildura Centre
Mornington Shopping Centre
Mount Gambier Centre
Nepean Shopping Centre
Noosa Civic Shopping Centre
Norton Plaza
Oakleigh Centre
Oxenford Centre
Pinelands Shopping Centre
Port Pirie Centre
Queen Victoria Building
Raymond Terrace Shopping Centre
Robina Town Centre
Roselands Centre
Rouse Hill Town Centre
Seven Hills Centre
Springwood Shopping Centre
Stirlings Centre
Stockland Aitkenvale
Stockland Baldivis
Stockland Balgowlah
Stockland Bathurst
Stockland Baulkham Hills
Stockland Benowa Gardens
Stockland Bull Creek
Stockland Burleigh
Stockland Cairns
Stockland Caloundra Shopping Centre
Stockland Corrimal
Stockland Forster
Stockland Gladstone Shopping Centre
Stockland Green Hills
Stockland Highlands
Stockland Jesmond
Stockland Jimboomba
Stockland Merrylands
Stockland North Shore
Stockland Nowra
Stockland The Pines
Stockland Point Cook
Stockland Riverton
Stockland Rockhampton
Stockland Shellharbour
Stockland Tooronga
Stockland Traralgon Shopping Centre
Stockland Wallsend Shopping Centre
Stockland Wetherill Park
Sunshine Marketplace
Surfers Paradise Centre
Taigum Centre
The Galeries (Sydney)
The Gateway Centre
The Glen Centre
The Strand Arcade
Toombal Centre
Toormina Shopping Centre
Tweed Shopping Centre
Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre
Victoria Park Shopping Centre
Warnbro Shopping Centre
Warriewood Shopping Centre
Warrnambool Shopping Centre
Warwick Shopping Centre
Watergardens Town Centre Shopping Centre
West Side Broken Hill Centre
Westfield Airport West
Westfield Bondi Junction
Westfield Burwood
Westfield Carindale
Westfield Chatswood
Westfield Chermside
Westfield Doncaster
Westfield Eastgardens Shopping Centre
Westfield Figtree
Westfield Fountain Gate
Westfield Garden City
Westfield Geelong
Westfield Helensvale
Westfield Hornsby
Westfield Hurstville Shopping Centre
Westfield Innaloo
Westfield Kotara
Westfield Liverpool
Westfield Marion
Westfield Miranda
Westfield Mt Druitt
Westfield North Lakes
Westfield North Rocks
Westfield Parramatta
Westfield Penrith Shopping Centre
Westfield Plenty Valley Shopping Centre
Westfield Southland
Westfield Strathpine
Westfield Sydney
Westfield Tea Tree Plaza Shopping Centre
Westfield Tuggerah
Westfield Warrawong
Westfield Warringah Mall
Westfield West Lakes
Westfield Whitford
Westpoint Shopping Center
Wodonga Shopping Centre
Woodcroft Shopping Centre
Woodgrove Shopping Centre – Main Mall
World Square Shopping Centre

Airports

Adelaide Airport
Sydney Airport
Melbourne Airport

Transit stations

Flinders Street Station
Southern Cross Station
Parramatta Train Station
North Sydney Train Station
Bondi Junction Train Station
Central Train Station
Chatswood Train Station
Circular Quay Train Station
Wynyard Train Station
Town Hall Train Station

Sports venues

Hisense Arena
Rod Laver Arena
AAMI Park
Allphones Arena
ANZ Stadium
Etihad Stadium Melbourne
Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre

Museums

The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia
National Gallery of Victoria – International
National Gallery of Australia
Museum of Contemporary Art Australia
Art Gallery of New South Wales
Sydney Opera House

Casinos / Entertainment complexes

Crown Melbourne

Retail

IKEA Homebush
IKEA Logan
IKEA Springvale
IKEA Tempe

Convention centres

Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre