14 DAY TRIAL // After ignoring Android Auto for nearly two years, Google really can’t stop polishing this product, so in addition to the major update that it shipped in the summer, further smaller tweaks keep coming every once in a while.
The latest such subtle update includes refinements for Google Maps, the main navigation app in Google Maps that most people use either as a replacement to or side-by-side with Waze.
As per 9to5Google, Google has fine-tuned the interface of Google Maps recently by adding rounded corners and redesigning the search box. There’s a new Google logo and a new font, both of which make the UI overall more consistent and align with the makeover that Android Auto received earlier this year.
The same source claims there’s a new animation when tapping the search box, as well as a smaller version of the search box that shows up when in motion or when you don’t have any home and work addresses defined.
New improvements gradually rolling out
On the other hand, it looks like these refinements are rolling out to users gradually, as they’re not yet available in Google Maps on my Android Auto, neither on the phone or on my car’s head unit.
I run the latest versions of both Google Maps and Android Auto, which are 10.26.3 and 4.7.5938, respectively. Most likely, the new visual touches are enabled by a server-side switch, so I expect Google to enable them shortly.
Meanwhile, these improvements show that Google is a lot more committed to Android Auto these days than it was a year ago, and this can only be good news for everyone, especially as adoption of this product keeps growing. For Google, this increased focus on Android Auto comes just at the right time, as Apple too has refined its in-car experience with a visual overhaul and new features in iOS 13.