See in advance some UI changes coming to Google Maps
Looking to make the Google Maps app easier to use, Googlers have been doing some tweaking to the app.
Google loves to make little changes to Google Maps. I imagine that in Mountain View, California, there is a small office where several Googlers squeeze in and throw out ideas to test on Google Maps. I can see a whiteboard where these ideas are written down, and of course, the door is locked from the outside by Google executives who want at least 10 potential changes on the whiteboard before the employees are allowed to go home for the day.
Google is making some small changes to the Google Maps app for Android
I can see Google having similar offices for Google Messages and many of the other apps that the company makes small, subtle improvements to quite often. Version 25.34.00.796159725 of Google Maps for Android reveals some changes to the app's settings page. The word that comes to mind when you look at Google Maps' current settings page is "unruly." The new look is less cluttered (another good word to describe Google Maps' settings page) and should be easier to use.
Comparing the old Google Maps settings page with the upcoming new look. | Image credit-Android Authority
Also spotted was a change to the map. In the upper right of the screen, where the compass is, there is a button above it that is pressed when you want to see different views of the map. That button allows you to change the map type from the default map to the satellite view or the version of the map that shows the terrain of the area you're looking at.
More changes are seen in these Google Maps for Android screenshots. | Image credit-Android Authority
The button allowing you to change which map you want to use is now in color. There is also a new look for the current location crosshair button that, when tapped, shows where you are on Google Maps. Google has also changed how the app shows you information about a place you're interested in learning more about. For example, those lozenge-shaped buttons at the top of a location's swipe-up card that show Directions, Ticket information (including a schedule, ticket prices, and a link to Ticketmaster), and other options are now found on the bottom of the page when it expands.
Another new look was spotted for the Street View preview which is now a squircle which dovetails with Google's Material 3 Expressive design plan.
New UI includes lozenge buttons on the bottom and a squircle used to house the Street View preview. | Image credit-Android Authority
Lastly, when you tap on the search bar on the top of the Google Maps app, you are sent to a list that shows the recent locations you looked up using the Google Maps app. That is helpful in case you want to see the directions to a location you've asked for directions to before. But with the new version of Google Maps, you will see a different layout that adds an Explore option. With this option, Google Maps looks at a combination of your location, the time of day, and your past search history to show you restaurants, historical locations, and local events for the area that your Google Maps app is showing.
Even though I'm using Google Maps version 25.34.00.796159725 on my Pixel 6 Pro running Android 16 QPR2 Beta 1, I have not received the updated version of Google Maps indicating that the update might be a server-side update that will require Google to flip the switch. You can check which version of Google Maps is running on your Android phone. Go to Settings > App > See all XXX apps. Scroll to Maps, and tap on the word to get to the Google Maps App info page. Once there, scroll all the way to bottom to see the app's version number.
To reiterate, even if you have the correct version of Google Maps on your Android phone, the update will not be seen. We have no idea when the update will show up on your Android phone, but considering that this update is not giving users any major new capabilities, we can be content to wait for Google to release it.
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