No YouTube Music, no Spotify

If you’ve opened Google Maps on your Android phone lately and wondered where your music controls went, you’re not alone, and you’re not imagining things. Google quietly removed the ability to control music playback during navigation. And this, with no warning or update post.

This all started when they shut down Assistant Driving Mode earlier this year. That move already felt like a downgrade. But they gave us a backup, a small floating media button you could turn on in settings. It wasn’t great, but it worked.

Now, that’s gone too. As spotted by 9to5Google. Tested on a Pixel 6a (running Maps version 25.29 beta) the “Show media playback controls” option has disappeared from the Maps settings on Android. The setting to choose your default music app (like Spotify or YouTube Music) is missing too.

And here’s the frustrating part: there’s no official explanation. Not even a vague one. Google builds its reputation on user-centered design and digital experiences. So to remove this feature that people actively use in silence is kind of surprising; just feels careless. It was a very useful feature actually: tap to navigate, swipe to skip a track. That’s the kind of basic functionality people expect in 2025.

It also affects accessibility. Many drivers rely on minimal interaction with their phones to stay focused and safe. Pulling down a notification shade or switching apps while on the road isn’t just annoying; it’s unsafe. This change could genuinely impact how people use Maps daily, especially for commuters and delivery drivers who depend on multitasking efficiently.

So now, if you’re using Google Maps to get somewhere and want to change your music? You’re stuck toggling between apps or pulling down the notification shade mid-drive, which, let’s be honest, is a mess. Not to mention, potentially dangerous.

Android users get the short end (again)

If you’re using iOS, you’re probably wondering what the fuss is about (because the playback toggle is still there on iPhones). That means iPhone users still get basic in-app music controls while using Google Maps.

That’s great… except for the fact that YouTube Music doesn’t work inside Maps on iOS. So if that’s your main streaming app, tough luck, it only supports Spotify and Apple Music on iPhones.

Still, it’s weird that Google Maps offers more functionality on Apple’s platform than it does on its own. Android users lose a feature, iPhone users keep it, that’s a hard one to explain. Especially when Google hasn’t said a single word about it.

Is this about Gemini? Probably.

This probably ties back to Google’s big shift from Google Assistant to Gemini (IA de Google), their new AI that’s slowly taking over across Android. Killing Assistant Driving Mode was likely the first domino to fall.

But here’s the problem: there’s no clear replacement. No Gemini-based driving mode, no media control alternative, no real direction, or not yet at least. Just fewer features and more confusion.

It’s the kind of change that makes people quietly frustrated because it makes the everyday stuff a little worse. And in the case of Google Maps, where people rely on it daily, that really matters.

What’s even stranger is that Google has been touting Gemini as a smarter, more proactive AI. But smarter doesn’t always mean better if it comes at the cost of usability. Flashy upgrades mean little if they break the basics.

What’s the plan here, Google?

If this is just a bug, cool, it will be fixed. But if it’s intentional, users deserve to know what’s coming next. Right now, Android users are stuck with fewer tools and a clunkier driving experience, while iPhone users are skating by just fine.

Is there a surprise coming up? a better-functioning Android feature? I guess we will have to wait to see what Google brings in next.