Summary
- After an Android Auto update, Google Maps now defaults to a centered view when not in active navigation.
- Drivers have reported finding it difficult to view their surrounding map whenever a destination isn’t selected.
- Right now, the only workaround is to hide Google’s destinations menu every time you drive.
Android Auto’s great for plenty of reasons, but personally, I rely on it for navigation more than anything else. Responding to messages or controlling media playback is all icing on the cake, but Google’s built-in car-friendly UI really exists to help me get from point A to point B — or to help me even know where point B is. That doesn’t mean you always have a specific destination in mind, of course. Unfortunately, with a recent update to Android Auto, drivers are having a much more difficult time seeing the space around them, specifically if they aren’t actively using navigation.
As spotted by Reddit user u/steelbreeze9, the most recent change to Auto now centers your car’s representative icon within Google Maps, rather than shoving it to the right side of the screen (via Android Authority). That wouldn’t be such a bad change if not for Google’s own destinations menu, which now covers up the bulk of the display showcasing nearby streets. That menu, which includes a search bar and recommended stops, can be collapsed to restore your map’s visibility, but it’s not a permanent action, to the chagrin of plenty of Reddit commenters.
A headache for anyone out on a Sunday cruise
Navigate or pay the price
Personally, I don’t usually use Google Maps in this view — I’m either headed to a familiar spot or an unknown destination, with little in between. Still, it’s absolutely valid to keep your maps open and accessible without typing in a specific location, and Google’s decision to roll out a change like this without allowing for a less visually-cluttered layout is, well, not a particularly good one. It’s also impossible to fix permanently; unless you swap to Waze or a similar third-party mapping option, you’ll have to deal with Maps’ awkwardly-placed destinations menu expanding every time you drive somewhere.
Google has plenty of ways to potentially fix this problem, from outright rolling back the change to redesigning its Maps layout within Android Auto to allow for a full-screen view. Practically none of the icons or menus available here are necessary if you’re just looking to keep your surrounding area on display. Settings, voice controls, the destinations menu — shove it all into one toggleable button and you should see people stop complaining.
Either way, expect Google to do something about it in the future. This Reddit post garnered plenty of attention; with over 100 comments and nearly 300 upvotes, it’s far and away the most popular post made on the Android Auto subreddit this month. For now, if you want to keep Maps live and uncluttered, you’ll either need to hide the destinations menu every time you drive, or enter an actual “point B.” A headache, but at the very least, a navigable one.