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Google Buzz on maps in Android

It was the morning of 10th February, when I got to know that Google Buzz is rolling out to users. Was disappointed to not to spot it in my Google Apps (Standard) and in my GMail. Learnt that Google Buzz also works on Google Maps on mobile phones.

I guessed that it would require a Google Maps upgrade on the phone. Instantly fired Android Market on my Android Dev Phone 1 (a.k.a. ADP1), clicked on the Downloads tab and was greeted by an available upgrade to Google Maps – Google Maps version 4.0.0. Opted to install the upgrade hoping to spot the Buzz on the maps but alas – it wasn’t a smooth sail. After the upgrade, I fired the Google Maps app on my ADP1. clicked on Menu>Layers>Buzz and spotted a new icon  on the maps. Clicking on the icon showed me a screen where I could post a new Buzz (a message).

Along with typing a text message, this screen also allowed me to upload a new photo that I could click via the phone’s camera or select an existing picture from the Android phone’s Gallery. Once I posted a Buzz, I could see a new speech bubble on the map at my current location – determined via GPS or Cell location (without GPS).  Over time, I realized, I could see only my Buzzes. Was no one else buzzing?

Buzz is not for Google Apps
Later during the day, I realized that my friends, using their GMail account, could see other’s Buzzes on their Nokia phones. Also they could not see my Buzzes.

I instantly suspected that it could be all because of using a Google Apps (not GMail) credentials on my Android phone. My Android phone is tied up with a Google Apps Standard Edition account which is not a regular GMail/Google account. That’s when I got onto the Net and  this blog post confirmed my suspicion. But the confusion remained for a while. How could I post a Buzz (as said above) but not see other’s Buzzes?

So I spent the remaining day (of 10th February) and 11th February ensuring that Google Buzz indeed does not work with an Android using Google Apps account. I changed my ADP1′s Google account from Apps to a regular GMail account as explained in this blog post – Android: How to change the Google Account without a hard reset. Subsequently,  I changed it back from GMail to Apps. Kept flipping the accounts several times. Witnessed a few erratic and confusing behaviour – call it caching. Eventually, I concluded the following:

• Google Buzz on maps in Android works with a regular GMail account and not with a Google Apps account.
• If you are switching from a Google Apps account to a GMail account on Android after installing Google Maps 4.0, refer to the following:
  1. Launch Android Market
  2. Click on the Downloads tab
  3. Select Google Maps
  4. Click on the button “Uninstall updates”. This will downgrade Google Maps.
  5. Subsequently, reinstall/update to Google Maps 4.0.0
  6. Now, launch Google Maps and click on Menu>Layers>Buzz
  7. And voila, you should be able to see what others are Buzzing on the map.
     

     Google Buzz on Maps in Android on February 10

• Buzz should work, if you have switched from a Google Apps account to a GMail account before installing Google Maps 4.0.0

A few other observations and notes:

• Buzz on Google Maps for Mobile has no privacy settings. All your Buzzes along with photos will be visible to everyone.
• As per my friends, Google Buzz seem to work equally well on Google Maps in Nokia and Windows Mobile. Nokia and Windows mobile users can goto http://m.google.com/maps to install/upgrade Google Maps to version 4.0.0.
• As reported by friends using Nokia, the Buzzes may disappear at times. In this case, removing and adding the Buzz layer on Google Maps will show the Buzzes again.
• Seems that the “speech bubbles” for Buzzes, older than a day, disappear from the map.
  

  A list of all the Buzz at a location, along with comments

While I have been playing with Buzz on my Android for the last two days, I may soon switch back to my Google Apps account. I can’t sacrifice my official E-mails on Android for the Buzz. Hope, Google Buzz for Google Apps is released soon. In the meanwhile I will play with Google Buzz on my Gmail account

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