Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
Google seems to have turned killing off Google Maps features into some sort of bizarre hobby, as the search giant keeps pulling options from its navigation solution on almost every occasion.
After the trip summary screen went missing on Android Auto, it's now the turn of the SMS option to wave goodbye to the directions sharing screen.
If you never heard of the text message option when trying to send directions from a computer to a mobile phone, that's alright. This is probably the reason Google decided to discontinue the feature in the first place, as users rarely used it on their devices.
Posts that went live on Google's forums in early June revealed that the SMS option went dark approximately one month ago, obviously without the Mountain View-based company saying a single word about it. Users have since been pretty confused, as the lack of an announcement makes it unclear if the company did it on purpose or if the feature was missing because of a bug.
A post from a product expert on the forums reveals that Google "discontinued the option of sending directions through text messages," kind of setting things clear and confirming that the company killed off another Google Maps feature. On purpose, that is, so it's not caused by a bug. Therefore, The feature is unlikely to make a comeback, so you'll have to stick with the other option when sending the directions to your phone.
The only way to do it is through a mobile push notification. I believe this is the easiest option anyway, as Google Maps is already on the mobile device if you want to use the directions on the go anyway. The only major inconvenience I can think of is related to the Google account, as you'd also have to log in with the same credentials on the desktop. I assume some people don't want to do this on their computers, which is why they want the feature to return to Google Maps.
Otherwise, sending directions to a smartphone is as straightforward as possible. You configure the route on the computer, and when you're done, just click the send to phone option. If you're logged in with the same Google account, Google Maps should recognize your phone and let you transfer the data in one second. A notification appears on the mobile device, and when tapped, it opens Google Maps with the same route as on the PC.
The process works similarly on Android and iPhone as long as the latest version of Google Maps is installed on the device. No charges are involved, and the only requirement is an Internet connection on the computer and the smartphone where the app is running.
If you never heard of the text message option when trying to send directions from a computer to a mobile phone, that's alright. This is probably the reason Google decided to discontinue the feature in the first place, as users rarely used it on their devices.
Posts that went live on Google's forums in early June revealed that the SMS option went dark approximately one month ago, obviously without the Mountain View-based company saying a single word about it. Users have since been pretty confused, as the lack of an announcement makes it unclear if the company did it on purpose or if the feature was missing because of a bug.
A post from a product expert on the forums reveals that Google "discontinued the option of sending directions through text messages," kind of setting things clear and confirming that the company killed off another Google Maps feature. On purpose, that is, so it's not caused by a bug. Therefore, The feature is unlikely to make a comeback, so you'll have to stick with the other option when sending the directions to your phone.
The only way to do it is through a mobile push notification. I believe this is the easiest option anyway, as Google Maps is already on the mobile device if you want to use the directions on the go anyway. The only major inconvenience I can think of is related to the Google account, as you'd also have to log in with the same credentials on the desktop. I assume some people don't want to do this on their computers, which is why they want the feature to return to Google Maps.
Otherwise, sending directions to a smartphone is as straightforward as possible. You configure the route on the computer, and when you're done, just click the send to phone option. If you're logged in with the same Google account, Google Maps should recognize your phone and let you transfer the data in one second. A notification appears on the mobile device, and when tapped, it opens Google Maps with the same route as on the PC.
The process works similarly on Android and iPhone as long as the latest version of Google Maps is installed on the device. No charges are involved, and the only requirement is an Internet connection on the computer and the smartphone where the app is running.
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