Photo: 9to5Mac
Google Maps is an application that’s continuously evolving, and given it spearheads the search giant’s mobile strategy, it’s obviously one of the first to always receive the latest improvements.
And this time, Google Maps has been quietly improved with some subtle touches of Material You, the new language that Google is bringing to its majority of apps.
But in Google Maps, the first signs of Material You are barely visible, so don’t be too surprised if you actually miss them. However, when the design overhaul is complete, Google Maps should feel like a massively updated application, boasting a more modern look (but the same feature lineup).
So what’s new in Google Maps now that Google has started the Material You refresh?
As reported recently, there are subtle touches to the bottom bar that allows you to jump from one feature to another (Explore, Go, Saved, Contribute, and Updates). In addition, the bar overall is smaller, therefore eating less space on the screen. At the same time, new pill-shaped indicators are being used for the active tab.
When the Material You rollout is complete, the selection indicator should use a more modern visual effect, but right now, Google Maps just sticks with a more subtle blue background.
Then, Google has changed the shape of the directions button. Previously a regular circle, this button is now a square with rounded corners, so clearly, Google has also started redesigning all elements that you see on the screen in the app.
The current improvements aren’t necessarily massive, but they show that Google is very committed to delivering this highly anticipated overhaul to Google Maps.
The company has remained completely tight-lipped on everything on this front, so there’s no ETA as to when the full refresh should be concerned. The Material You touches in Google Maps are already live on Android devices but expect more subtle tweaks to be introduced in the next few updates published on the Google Play Store.
But in Google Maps, the first signs of Material You are barely visible, so don’t be too surprised if you actually miss them. However, when the design overhaul is complete, Google Maps should feel like a massively updated application, boasting a more modern look (but the same feature lineup).
So what’s new in Google Maps now that Google has started the Material You refresh?
As reported recently, there are subtle touches to the bottom bar that allows you to jump from one feature to another (Explore, Go, Saved, Contribute, and Updates). In addition, the bar overall is smaller, therefore eating less space on the screen. At the same time, new pill-shaped indicators are being used for the active tab.
When the Material You rollout is complete, the selection indicator should use a more modern visual effect, but right now, Google Maps just sticks with a more subtle blue background.
Then, Google has changed the shape of the directions button. Previously a regular circle, this button is now a square with rounded corners, so clearly, Google has also started redesigning all elements that you see on the screen in the app.
The current improvements aren’t necessarily massive, but they show that Google is very committed to delivering this highly anticipated overhaul to Google Maps.
The company has remained completely tight-lipped on everything on this front, so there’s no ETA as to when the full refresh should be concerned. The Material You touches in Google Maps are already live on Android devices but expect more subtle tweaks to be introduced in the next few updates published on the Google Play Store.
Google News