Google Maps for Android Auto Gets a Feature So Subtle You Won't Even Notice It

Solutions from HERE and Sygic serve as solid alternatives, but they continue to command small shares in the Android and Android Auto worlds.

With Google Maps and Waze the top navigation choices in the Android ecosystem, the search giant keeps refining the experience with both. Earlier this week, Waze announced the biggest update in years, and now Google has started rolling out a small refinement that many Android Auto users might even fail to notice.

The company has updated how the ETA to the destination is displayed by Google Maps on Android Auto, finally bringing it in line with how the same information is shown to users on other platforms.

You probably don't pay attention to such minor details, but Google Maps on mobile devices uses a bold font to display the ETA when navigation is enabled. The application uses this approach to distinguish the ETA from the rest of the information presented on the screen, making it easier for drivers to view the remaining driving time.

Android Auto used the same font across the entire interface, so the ETA didn't stand out from the rest of the UI. Google has reportedly started shipping a similar visual update, making the ETA bold on Android Auto. I don't see the change yet, so I assume the company uses a gradual rollout. I already run an up-to-date version of Google Maps on my Samsung phone, but Google Maps uses the same font as the rest of the information displayed in the navigation info panel.

This isn't the only small refinement coming to Google Maps on Android Auto. The Mountain View-based search giant is also bringing support for saving parking locations in Google Maps when navigation is enabled. The feature has been offered to Android users for years, but it somehow remained unavailable on Android Auto.

With this update, users can drive to a destination, park the car in a different place, and mark the location on the map so they can use Google Maps to get step-by-step guidance to the destination. Google Maps can continue running on the mobile phone for navigation even after the driver parks the car.

Google Maps is also getting a 3D building layer on Android Auto, though the feature is yet to land on all devices. The new style appeared for select users earlier this year, but Google has yet to announce it publicly, which could be a sign that the company needs more work to get it ready for all users worldwide.