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Google’s Android Auto for Phones Replacement Loses Essential Google Maps Feature

Google’s Driving Mode, originally integrated into Google Maps and now powered by Google Assistant, has been a rather controversial release.
Google Driving Mode 11 photos
Photo: Google
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Not only that it was Google’s replacement for Android Auto for phone screens, but it also came as half-baked software – and in so many ways, it continues to feel the same way today.

It’s not a secret that some people are still missing Android Auto for phones, and using the Driving Mode is often a major pain in the neck. But Google is about to make the whole experience even worse.

As discovered recently, the most recent beta version of the Google app comes with one big change: the Google Maps card displayed on the home screen of the Driving Mode is being removed. In other words, users would just have to stick with running Google Maps in full screen, and once the app is launched in this mode, there’s no way to go back to the home screen in the first place.

It's hard to understand why Google precisely plans to do this, but there's a chance that something bigger might be coming on the Google Maps front. I personally wouldn't be surprised to see the Driving Mode becoming a part of Google Maps, just like everything was at the beginning, but it remains to be seen what Google is working on this time.

But at this point, the Driving Mode in Android looks like a feature that nobody needs anymore. Without the Google Maps card, its home screen is nothing more than a standard UI displaying the music controls when the audio is playing.

Of course, given the changes are part of a beta version, we’d better just wait and see what Google is coming up with, so fingers crossed for the software giant to actually find a better way to improve the already-awful Android Auto for phone screens' replacement.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
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Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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