A new feature from Mapquest will allow Web users to send color maps and driving directions to their phones.

Through partnerships with most major service providers, Mapquest already lets users get maps and directions through a phone application called Mapquest Mobile, a premium service that usually costs about $4 a month.

But until now, users had to type in addresses on tiny cell-phone keypads.

The new version lets users obtain directions by entering three-letter airport codes. And users can visit Mapquest.com from a regular PC, use its full-size keyboard to plan trips, and hit a button to send the results to the phone. While on the road, friends and assistants can also send maps and directions for them.

Tommy McGloin, general manager of Mapquest, said a version planned for June will add even more features, including location awareness when using GPS enabled phones. That way, users will have to enter only the destination for driving directions.

Mapquest, a unit of America Online Inc., offers the service through most major providers, except T-Mobile, Mr. McGloin said. Users will be able to download and run the mobile software using most current phone models, he said.

Yahoo Inc. offers its maps on cell phones as part of its local search service, in which users can get business listings by entering keywords such as “restaurants.” But driving directions are text only, and users cannot get a map by typing specific addresses, spokeswoman Nicole Leverich said.