Down Detector, an online site that tracks outages in real-time reported that more than 11,000 reports of Google Maps outages were reported on Friday. People began experiencing problems with Google Maps around 11:30 a.m. ET and several services that use the platform became non-functional.
“We’re seeing reports of difficulties accessing some Google Maps and Google Maps Platform services,” a Google representative admitted. “Our team is investigating and working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”
Investigation revealed that users got error messages when they tried to access Google Maps to reach their destinations. Some users complained of having to read road signs in a frustrating manner before they reached their destinations, and others simply lamented the associated loss of business they suffered.
iOS users did not report the same situation with Apple Maps.
Some users said they were able to use Google Maps on computers, but not on mobile devices. A few other computer users reported the map failed to load.
“My life is over as I know it,” one user complained about social media. “Google Maps is down.”
Another said the outage created a serious disruption to his day and impacted his business in a way he did not anticipate.
Google Maps is basically employed on mobile devices to plan driving routes and assess traffic situations. Using satellite images around the world, the service displays street addresses and road connections around towns and cities. Available in more than 220 countries, the online tool also shows business locations and can be used to trace the movement of other users.
Google Maps was updated in October last year with tools that can be used to minimize environmental impact, map out eco-friendly routes, and live navigation for bikers and cyclists around the world. Users who feel vulnerable can turn off their precise location by going to their Google accounts through Gmail to turn “location history” off.