Google Maps is fixing its most irritating Android issue

QUICK SUMMARY

Google is working on a way to make Maps more accurate. The orientation of Android phones can often be incorrect but should soon be addressed.

When using Google Maps, there’s nothing more annoying than making a wrong turn. except making a right turn you thought was a wrong turn. That’s because the device orientation on Google Maps has been off for millions of Android users – me included. Thankfully it might now be fixed.  

Walking around London a couple of weeks ago with my Android phone, I found myself taking several wrong turns and doubling back just because my device wouldn’t know which way I was facing.  Needless to say, it was maddening, and unless I twisted my elbow to all kinds of angles I was constantly going the wrong way, 

Currently, Android phones use the Android Rotation Vector to judge orientation with Google maps, but Google has apparently had feedback from developers about its inaccuracies.

So what’s the potentially incoming fix? That’s where things get a bit technical. Google explains it has added a new Fused Orientation Provider (FOP) API  “that provides quality and consistent device orientation by fusing signals from accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer.” Still with me? Well, Google has promised this new system will bring”more consistent behaviour and high performance across devices.” 

As long as your phone runs Android 5 or later (so everyone- if not you are a security risk) It should be a fairly simple change to roll out and as long as my phone faces the same direction as me, I’ll be happy. Google Maps is a brilliantly useful bit of software when it works and this latest news comes on the back of the implementation of a brand new feature last week. 

Now if only they could improve my lacklustre sense

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Google Maps Enhances Direction Accuracy for Android Users

 Android smartphone users, rejoice! Google Maps is receiving a much-needed upgrade that will significantly improve the accuracy of its directional indicator. This enhancement, powered by the Fused Orientation Provider (FOP) functionality, ensures a more consistent and precise representation of your current direction within the app.

Google Maps Gets a Navigation Boost with Improved Direction Accuracy on Android

This update addresses a common frustration faced by many users: the blue dot on the map, representing your location, often displays an inaccurate directional cone. This ambiguity can lead to confusion and lost time, especially when navigating unfamiliar territory. FOP tackles this issue by combining data from three key sensors on your device: the accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer. These sensors work in tandem to provide a more comprehensive picture of your phone’s orientation.

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The Google Developers Blog highlights additional improvements implemented alongside FOP. The update incorporates refined algorithms to manage magnetic disturbances. Further enhancing the reliability of the directional indicator not only within Maps. But also in compatible third-party navigation applications.

One of the most significant aspects of this update is its broad applicability. FOP is specifically designed to function effectively even on older Android devices and those equipped with less sophisticated sensors. This ensures that a vast majority of users will experience a noticeable improvement in the accuracy of their directional information within Google Maps.

In conclusion, this update represents a significant step forward for Google Maps on Android. By leveraging FOP technology, users can now expect a more precise and dependable depiction of their direction, leading to a smoother and more efficient navigation experience. This improvement holds particular value in time-sensitive situations and unfamiliar environments, eliminating the frustration of second-guessing your direction and allowing users to focus on their journey.

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Google Maps makes drive time on Android Auto bolder

Android Auto is getting a tweak for Google Maps that shows the estimated drive time in the same bolder style as other platforms.

Google Maps has, for a while, shown the estimated drive time with the number in a bold font. But, for whatever reason, this wasn’t the case on Android Auto. Rather, Google Maps would show a constant font across the entire text.

This has changed with recent updates, though.

In the latest versions of Google Maps and Android Auto, we noticed that Google has started showing the bolder number alongside the thinner minutes and hour indicators. It’s a super subtle change, but it’s nice that Android Auto finally matches up with Google Maps elsewhere.

We noticed these changes with version 11.119.0100 of Google Maps and version 11.5 of Android Auto.

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Android Auto more widely rolling out 3D buildings in Google Maps

Earlier this year Google Maps on Android Auto started showing buildings in 3D while driving. Now, that functionality is rolling out more widely, and we’ve got a few more details on it as well.

3D buildings in Google Maps have been available for years now, but was rarely used in navigation. Google pretty widely supported showing this design while navigating on your phone screen, but it only recently started showing up on Android Auto.

Now, that seems to be more widely available. We noticed that 3D buildings are now showing up in Android Auto in our vehicle, and interestingly, the new look is enabled by default. Where Google Maps only shows 3D buildings on a smartphone when you manually enable the setting, Android Auto shows it by default.

To turn off 3D buildings, simply go into Google Maps settings and toggle the feature off.

Notably, though, 3D buildings only appear when Android Auto is in light mode, at least in my testing. When the UI switched to dark mode, 3D buildings disappeared, but if I forced it back to light mode (an option in my car), they immediately re-appeared. Back when the feature first showed up, though, 3D buildings did still appear in dark mode, so it’s possible this is dependent on your region, or Google may have simply removed this view when in dark mode in the time since it initially appeared.

At CES earlier this month, Google also confirmed that the feature is also rolling out to Google Maps on Android Automotive, the native platform in vehicles like Polestar 3, as pictured above.

As a final side note, Google Maps has also slightly tweaked the buttons that appear when you arrive at a location, with more prominent designs for the two buttons.

Are you seeing 3D buildings in

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Google Maps now supports Bluetooth beacons in tunnels

GPS makes it possible to navigate the globe with relative ease, but tunnels have long been a sore spot for apps like Google Maps. But, widely available now, Google Maps now supports Bluetooth beacons to fill in the gap left by tunnels.

Bluetooth beacons are not really a new idea. Google-owned Waze has supported the technology in tunnels across the globe including major cities such as New York City, Chicago, Paris, Brussels, and many more for quite a while now. However, those beacons have only ever worked in the Waze app.

Google explains on a support page:

The Waze Beacons program provides seamless navigation to drivers underground where GPS signals don’t reach, ensuring location services, increased driver safety, and better visibility into real-time events inside the tunnel.

Now, it appears that Google Maps is finally adding support for Bluetooth beacons as a new tunnel navigation setting has become widely available.

As highlighted by SmartDroid, the feature appears under Settings > Navigation Settings and under the “Driving Options” section towards the bottom. The feature is disabled by default, but is described saying:

Scan for Bluetooth tunnel beacons to improve location accuracy in tunnels.

The feature appears to have first shown up for some users around October 2023, but is widely available as of this month. When enabling the feature, Maps for Android will request permission to scan for nearby devices. The feature is not available on Google Maps for iOS.

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Android Auto’s Google Maps is getting a sleek 3D look

Summary

  • Android Auto now supports 3D buildings on Google Maps, providing a more immersive experience on your car screen.
  • While navigating in the Maps app for Android, Google has started showing 3D buildings for a few users who have the option turned on.
  • Both features are gradually rolling out to the users, so there is a chance you may not see them on your devices just yet.


Android Auto got a major design refresh not too long ago that allowed more efficient utilization of your car’s screen. Depending on the display size and aspect ratio, Android Auto could display multiple apps side by side, like YouTube Music running on one side with Google Maps taking up the other half. It now looks like Google Maps on Android Auto is getting a more immersive view that its phone app has supported for long — 3D buildings.

The 3D buildings feature for certain cities has been around on Google Maps for more than a decade while there’s also a toggle to enable it. This immersive view is particularly helpful in finding a place easily, especially when you’re in a new city. It’s been available on the Maps app for Android and iPhone but hasn’t been an option on Android Auto — until now.

3d-buildings-in-android-auto-google-maps-t

A Reddit user spotted that Maps on Android Auto has started showing 3D buildings for them recently. They hadn’t toggled any setting in the previous week, leading us to believe that it is a server-side change. As shown in the screenshot above, the buildings here appear translucent with the path you’re on in focus. Do note that the navigation isn’t turned on in the screenshot. Another user commented in the same thread that they too have the feature on Google Maps for iPhone but not on their Pixel 7.

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