Photo: Android Police
Google has become surprisingly committed to addressing the feature gap between Google Maps and Waze. The latest updates included goodies that have long been exclusive to Waze, such as the incident reporting engine, with Google Maps expanding into its territory and fighting almost for the same audience.
Google has recently started testing another feature that brings Google Maps closer to Waze from a feature perspective.
The company wants to add more customization options, so it's now experimenting with new vehicle icons that reassemble real models more closely.
If you've used Google Maps, you certainly know that the app came with very limited options on this front, letting you pick from a few generic vehicle icons painted in standard colors. The company now wants to provide users with more freedom on this front, so Google Maps will include new icons with options to change the color.
The company has recently been caught testing this feature on the iPhone, and while this addition is good news, it could be a sign that Android might be left behind this time. However, I expected Google to bring the same update to Google Maps on Android, though the timing is currently unknown.
It wouldn't be the first time Google favored iPhone over Android for Google Maps updates, so it'll be interesting to see how the company handles this update when it's ready for prime time.
Meanwhile, it's definitely good news that Google has decided to add this long-overdue feature, especially as users have been requesting such updates for years. The basic options do their job, and they will continue to be available in Google Maps without the color-changing settings. Google Maps will focus more on the new vehicle icons, including the common vehicle types, such as the sedan, SUV, and hatchback. Users will get options like Glacier White, Night Black, Aqua Green, and Poppy Red, so the icon they set in Google Maps will get closer to the vehicle they drive in real life.
It's unclear when the rollout is projected to begin, but considering the work is already in the public testing stage, it shouldn't take long before more users start seeing the new vehicle icons.
If you want to change the vehicle icon in Google Maps, you can tap the default blue arrow that appears when you enable navigation and pick from one of the pre-loaded icons. If you're not part of this test, you should see the generic icons available in Google Maps, including the red car. You can just tap the desired vehicle icon, and you should see Google Maps returning to the navigation screen with the new settings enabled.
Waze includes many more vehicle icons and also receives occasional limited-time updates with more designs, so if you're particularly interested in this feature, you might want to check the other Google-owned navigation app.
The company wants to add more customization options, so it's now experimenting with new vehicle icons that reassemble real models more closely.
If you've used Google Maps, you certainly know that the app came with very limited options on this front, letting you pick from a few generic vehicle icons painted in standard colors. The company now wants to provide users with more freedom on this front, so Google Maps will include new icons with options to change the color.
The company has recently been caught testing this feature on the iPhone, and while this addition is good news, it could be a sign that Android might be left behind this time. However, I expected Google to bring the same update to Google Maps on Android, though the timing is currently unknown.
It wouldn't be the first time Google favored iPhone over Android for Google Maps updates, so it'll be interesting to see how the company handles this update when it's ready for prime time.
Meanwhile, it's definitely good news that Google has decided to add this long-overdue feature, especially as users have been requesting such updates for years. The basic options do their job, and they will continue to be available in Google Maps without the color-changing settings. Google Maps will focus more on the new vehicle icons, including the common vehicle types, such as the sedan, SUV, and hatchback. Users will get options like Glacier White, Night Black, Aqua Green, and Poppy Red, so the icon they set in Google Maps will get closer to the vehicle they drive in real life.
It's unclear when the rollout is projected to begin, but considering the work is already in the public testing stage, it shouldn't take long before more users start seeing the new vehicle icons.
If you want to change the vehicle icon in Google Maps, you can tap the default blue arrow that appears when you enable navigation and pick from one of the pre-loaded icons. If you're not part of this test, you should see the generic icons available in Google Maps, including the red car. You can just tap the desired vehicle icon, and you should see Google Maps returning to the navigation screen with the new settings enabled.
Waze includes many more vehicle icons and also receives occasional limited-time updates with more designs, so if you're particularly interested in this feature, you might want to check the other Google-owned navigation app.
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