Photo: Google
One of the most important Google Maps features has recently gone missing on Android Auto, and while many people believed the search giant removed it on purpose, it looks like this isn’t actually the case.
First and foremost, some context.
Just like on Android and iPhone, the Android Auto version of Google Maps comes with multiple display options, including a satellite mode. Thanks to this view, users can navigate with satellite imagery on the screen, therefore making it a little bit easier to figure out which way to go.
The satellite view is not enabled by default, so users need to activate it manually the first time they launch Google Maps on Android Auto.
However, after a recent update, the satellite mode has mysteriously disappeared. Enabling it is no longer possible, and users must stick with the default view in Google Maps.
Many believed this was because of a bug that was discovered earlier on Android Auto and which caused Google Maps to freeze when the satellite mode was enabled. At some level, this made sense, as Google Maps could no longer be used at all, so Google temporarily removing this feature was a way to buy more time until a full fix was developed.
But as it turns out, the search giant didn’t actually pull the satellite mode on purpose. A member of the Android Auto team and Community Specialist on Google’s forums is now asking for additional information on the whole thing, including the Google Maps and the Android Auto app versions, the phone make and model, and the car where the satellite mode is no longer available.
For the time being, however, a patch is still nowhere to be seen, and given Google didn’t remove this feature on purpose, there’s obviously no ETA as to when it could be released. Sticking with the default mode in Google Maps appears to be the only option for now.
Just like on Android and iPhone, the Android Auto version of Google Maps comes with multiple display options, including a satellite mode. Thanks to this view, users can navigate with satellite imagery on the screen, therefore making it a little bit easier to figure out which way to go.
The satellite view is not enabled by default, so users need to activate it manually the first time they launch Google Maps on Android Auto.
However, after a recent update, the satellite mode has mysteriously disappeared. Enabling it is no longer possible, and users must stick with the default view in Google Maps.
Many believed this was because of a bug that was discovered earlier on Android Auto and which caused Google Maps to freeze when the satellite mode was enabled. At some level, this made sense, as Google Maps could no longer be used at all, so Google temporarily removing this feature was a way to buy more time until a full fix was developed.
But as it turns out, the search giant didn’t actually pull the satellite mode on purpose. A member of the Android Auto team and Community Specialist on Google’s forums is now asking for additional information on the whole thing, including the Google Maps and the Android Auto app versions, the phone make and model, and the car where the satellite mode is no longer available.
For the time being, however, a patch is still nowhere to be seen, and given Google didn’t remove this feature on purpose, there’s obviously no ETA as to when it could be released. Sticking with the default mode in Google Maps appears to be the only option for now.
Google News