Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/9to5Google
The color update released by Google approximately one year ago was one of the most controversial tweaks the company has ever shipped to Google Maps.
Users hated it, at least at first, claiming the new theme made Google Maps less readable and more difficult to use. The new colors for water, roads, and parks were supposed to feel more natural, but users claimed the result was the opposite.
Google expressed no intention to undo the change, and the new colors were here to stay. They're still in Google Maps, and the latest interface update makes the interface overall more consistent with another subtle change.
Google Maps has changed the color of the buttons across its interface, now using a mild teal shade instead of the previous blue accent. I don't know about you, but I like the change, as it makes Google Maps feel more coherent from one end to the other.
The new color approach is used for all buttons across the Google Maps interface, including directions, start, order, and everything else you see when expanding a location. It's live only for some users, so Google might still be in the testing phase, but it shouldn't take long until the change becomes available for everybody.
However, the update is powered by a server-side rollout system, so updating to the latest version in the app stores won't help you get faster access.
Meanwhile, Google Maps has also received bigger feature changes, and the most notable update is the introduction of incident reporting on Android Auto and CarPlay. I know what you're thinking: wasn't the ability to report incidents the key feature of Waze?
That is correct, but Google has seemingly become more committed to addressing the feature gap between the two, so if you use Google Maps, you can now pin common hazards on the map. These include accidents, speed cameras, roadworks, and vehicles stalled on the road.
The feature debuted on mobile devices in 2019 when it went live on Android and iPhone, but with this year's update, it expands to all devices where it makes sense. Users can report accidents from Android Auto and CarPlay, and Google is working around the clock to make the feature more useful.
Compared to Waze, Google Maps doesn't have the same number of users contributing traffic reports, so the company made the obvious call and decided to import more data from Waze. Speed cameras will make their way from Waze to Google Maps, so the next time you navigate with the app on the screen, you might see a report submitted by someone using the other Google-owned navigation app.
Google has so far remained tight-lipped on the Google Maps interface update, but it should gradually go live for everybody in the coming weeks.
Google expressed no intention to undo the change, and the new colors were here to stay. They're still in Google Maps, and the latest interface update makes the interface overall more consistent with another subtle change.
Google Maps has changed the color of the buttons across its interface, now using a mild teal shade instead of the previous blue accent. I don't know about you, but I like the change, as it makes Google Maps feel more coherent from one end to the other.
The new color approach is used for all buttons across the Google Maps interface, including directions, start, order, and everything else you see when expanding a location. It's live only for some users, so Google might still be in the testing phase, but it shouldn't take long until the change becomes available for everybody.
However, the update is powered by a server-side rollout system, so updating to the latest version in the app stores won't help you get faster access.
Meanwhile, Google Maps has also received bigger feature changes, and the most notable update is the introduction of incident reporting on Android Auto and CarPlay. I know what you're thinking: wasn't the ability to report incidents the key feature of Waze?
That is correct, but Google has seemingly become more committed to addressing the feature gap between the two, so if you use Google Maps, you can now pin common hazards on the map. These include accidents, speed cameras, roadworks, and vehicles stalled on the road.
The feature debuted on mobile devices in 2019 when it went live on Android and iPhone, but with this year's update, it expands to all devices where it makes sense. Users can report accidents from Android Auto and CarPlay, and Google is working around the clock to make the feature more useful.
Compared to Waze, Google Maps doesn't have the same number of users contributing traffic reports, so the company made the obvious call and decided to import more data from Waze. Speed cameras will make their way from Waze to Google Maps, so the next time you navigate with the app on the screen, you might see a report submitted by someone using the other Google-owned navigation app.
Google has so far remained tight-lipped on the Google Maps interface update, but it should gradually go live for everybody in the coming weeks.
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