Google Maps SDK for iOS updated, now available to all developers

google maps sdk

When Google released its standalone Maps app for iOS back in December of last year, it also seeded an SDK to select developers. The software development kit allows developers to integrate Google’s mapping data into their apps.

Today, Google has lifted the limitation, opening up its Maps SDK to all developers. The announcement comes alongside a nice little update to the dev kit, which now features ground overlays, and other new mapping tools…

Additionally, Google is also now bundling a sample app with the SDK that offers support for the company’s various APIs. Developers are given access to Google’s base map, including its extensive street data and hi-res satellite imagery.

What does this all mean to us users? Well, we should start seeing more apps with integrated Google Maps data. As noted by The Next Web, developers previously had to register and wait for approval from Google before using the SDK.

The Google Maps app received quite the response when it launched late last year. It was downloaded over 10 million times in its first 2 days, and it stayed in the #1 spot on the App Store’s Top Free Apps list for the better part of the month.

Of course, Google can only take part of the credit of the app’s success. The rest of it belongs to Apple, who replaced Google Maps in iOS last fall with its own in-house, clearly premature mapping software. And it’s still trying to recover.

If you’d you like to download Google’s Maps SDK, you can find it in their developers portal by clicking here.