How does Google Map work and gather data?

Google Maps is one software that has impressed me a lot. I used to wonder how it works. I still do not know its exact functioning but I can tell you my point of view. Your answer lies in your mobile. Android mobile is more of a useful gadget to Google than it is to you. As you must be already knowing that Android keeps track of your location history. That history is uploaded to the Google servers which is used by Google to give you directions and other services. Say for example 1000 people with android devices used to take that path every day. But all of a sudden it went down to ZERO. Now Google's algorithm will track that change and suggest you not to take that path and will suggest you a different path. This is how Google is able to give you near real time traffic updates. So if you travel through a path, Google will use your data i.e the distance, path, time etc to tell near real time traffic on that path to others. This is not the only source that Google uses. It also has various other sources and methods to collect the data. Google has has various innovative softwares where it uses the whole world to solve its own problems. One such example is "ReCaptcha". It is an interesting piece of software do read about it.

After doing an extensive research I came across the actual method of gathering data, it's called Google Map Maker.  Through which various individuals around the world are allowed to share information about roads, places, directions to the pre-existing maps that they know.By sharing information about the places you know, like businesses in your town or roads in your area, you can ensure that the map accurately reflects the world around you. Your updates will be reviewed and then can appear on the map.You can add and edit many different things on the map, including: Places, like businesses, addresses, and other locations Roads, railways, and paths Natural features, like beaches Political features, like your city limits or neaby locality Building outlines for towers, monuments, and more Source: https://support.google.com/mapmaker#topic=3180752My Quora answer to How does Google maps update the traffic and roads under maintaince information?

Basically, there are companies which specialise in sending out cameras on satellites (such as Tele Atlas, Google's major provider). Google (or other maps makers) buy the rights to these images or buy the companies so that they can get the imaging. Using the various satellite images, Google stitches together the images to make it flawless, but since the images come from different satellites with different equipment, sometimes the resolutions will change as you go along. It's Google's job to update the maps and add places of interest/businesses etc. Google Street View involves cameras on trucks driving around and taking images at regular intervals which are, again, stitched together to allow you to go in and look at a specific location. Maps takes a little trial and error to get the actual addresses correct - so in some countries, if you look up a specific street address, they may not get it right or find it at all.

By integrating Waze data. You'd be surprised at how effective crowd-sourcing can be generally, despite the risk of vandalism/deceit.