Now See Air Quality on Google Maps
The air quality index (AQI) is a new map layer on Google Maps and can be enabled on both Android and iOS. So, if you search for a place for directions or any other information, you can switch on the layer and see the air quality of that place and even the nearby places.
Just tap the circular button placed on the right side below the search bar and this will open the various map layers. One of them is the air quality. Once enabled, you will see colored dots in various locations. Red is for very unhealthy, yellow and orange are for unhealthy, and green is for healthy air quality. Have a look at what it looks like.
Selecting a specific region to see the air quality will also provide you with an option to see more information on this. The air quality data is provided by Environmental Protection Agency and PurpleAir in the U.S. In India, it comes from National AQI, CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board).
AQI from PurpleAir will also show up on the Nest devices. For those who don’t know, Google introduced the AQI functionality on Nest Hub last year.
In addition to this, Google Maps has also got the wildfire layer, which will show details on the active fires in the nearby areas. The information is taken from the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC). This is also now live. And, smoke data will also be added to Google Maps in the US.
The ability to see the air quality on Google Maps is now live for all users. Make sure to update the Google Maps app to get access to it and when you do, don’t forget to let us know your thoughts on it in the comments below.
