Google Maps just lost a useful feature — this will make future road trips more frustrating
Last year, Google removed Assistant Driving mode from the bottom of the Google Map app, which allows users to interact with Google Assistant while navigating, a useful way of controlling media playback while on the move. When this mode was removed, users instead had to use the Show media playback control feature, which works with apps like YouTube Music and Spotify, to easily control what they were listening to while driving. However, as first reported by 9to5 Google, the playback control feature appears to have been removed.
In past versions, the playback bar would appear at the bottom of the screen while you navigated, allowing you to pause, play and skip songs or podcasts without needing to leave the app. However, as of Google Maps version 25.28, the controls have vanished alongside the toggle to show them.
I checked the app on my Galaxy Z Fold 5 with the most up-to-date version of the app and, sure enough, I could not find the toggles, which usually live in the Navigation tab. However, my colleague's Honor 400 Pro, running Google Maps version 25.29, did have the toggles in place.
It should be noted that, at time of writing, the feature still appears on the iOS version of Google Maps. As such, we can't say for certain if the removal from Android is an intentional choice or a bug in the app.
The advantage of easy Playback Control tools is that they allow users to quickly change songs without needing to divert their focus from the road. If you remove them, it means that a user has to leave Google Maps, find the relevant media app, change the song and then head back to Google Maps. At best, that's a solid ten to twenty seconds where they are not focused on the road as much as they should be.
If this removal is an intentional choice, it will certainly be a disappointment and will likely lead some users to head to alternative apps like Waze, which still has media controls in the app. However, Google Maps has released several recent updates that might help to keep users on the app. For instance, Google Maps on iPhones recently rolled out a screenshot recognition feature that can find locations from images you've saved in your camera gallery.
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For the time being, we'll need to wait and see if Google keeps this change, or if this is simply a hiccup that will be addressed. If this is going to be the new normal for the app, let us know what you think and if this will lead to you changing navigation apps.
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