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Users Say Google Maps Still Lacks the Best CarPlay Feature, Google Tight-Lipped

One of the best features that CarPlay has received lately is support for third-party apps in the maps card on the dashboard.
Apple CarPlay dashboard 1 photo
Photo: Apple
Also referred to as the multi-view screen, the dashboard includes several cards, one of which allows navigation apps, like Apple Maps, Google Maps, Waze, and others to display real-time information.

This means users can technically run several apps side by side on the dashboard without missing anything.

Before the release of iOS 13.4, Apple locked the maps card to Apple Maps, technically blocking others from using it. This meant Google Maps and Waze, which are both very popular choices in the CarPlay world, were blocked from replacing Apple Maps and using this navigation card.

This has all changed with the release of iOS 13.4 a few months ago, as Apple now allows developers to add support for the dashboard in their apps and display navigation information alongside other programs.

But this can only happen as long as developers themselves update their apps with support for the multi-view screen. Google, which makes the top navigation apps on Android and iOS (and also on Android Auto and CarPlay) has remained completely tight-lipped on support for the dashboard, despite the several months that have already passed since Apple lifted the restriction.

This post on the Waze suggestion box already has more than 1,600 votes from Google users who want to run their apps on the CarPlay dashboard. Some of them are obviously frustrated with the Mountain View-based search giant not saying a single word about what happens, while others believe this feature should have been there from the very beginning in Google Maps, especially because Apple offered beta builds of iOS 13.4 to allow devs to prepare for the public launch.

For now, it’s not yet clear if and when Google will update its apps with support for the dashboard, but there’s no doubt that the faster this happens, the better for everyone.

We’ve reached out to the company to ask about its plans in this regard and will update the article when we hear back.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

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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