Summary
- Android Auto Maps now shows the Report button prominently by moving Guidance Audio to settings.
- Easier reporting of accidents, police, and hazards improves real-time alerts for all drivers.
- Suggested locations are now hidden by default on many Android Auto setups, reducing clutter.
A lot of Google Maps' usefulness comes from its crowdsourced nature—Google provides the actual map, but users provide info on traffic jams and any possible accidents. Now, it just got a lot easier to report an issue while you're driving. And it's something that could greatly improve your next drive.
Google is rolling out a significant redesign for its Maps app on Android Auto, which improves the visibility of the "Report" button. This feature, which allows drivers to report real-time road conditions such as traffic congestion, accidents, police activity, and other hazards, is a vital tool for reporting information for other drivers that might go on the same driving path as you. On vehicles equipped with smaller infotainment displays, typically in the 7 to 8-inch range, the button was often automatically hidden and deprioritized in favor of other features, effectively locking out a segment of the user base from contributing to and benefiting from real-time traffic and safety updates.
The new update rectifies this issue. It relocates the "Guidance Audio" button to the settings menu within the Google Maps app, and as a result, Google has freed up valuable screen real estate, allowing the "Report" button to be prominently displayed across a wider range of screen sizes.
It's a small change, but one that might have a huge effect not just for the users that are getting this change on their cars. As more drivers are now able to easily report incidents, and the data fed into Google Maps will become more robust and reliable, this leads to more accurate and timely alerts for everyone. You'll now see accidents and police checkpoints/blocks on the road that might otherwise not be reported if this change hadn't been launched. This change brings the Android Auto version of Google Maps a bit closer to the functionality of Waze—which is also owned by Google, as a fun fact, so I'm personally glad to see that Google wants to bring Maps closer in terms of features to Waze.
In addition to this safety-focused enhancement, Google is also fixing up something else: suggested locations. It's intended to be a helpful feature, predicting destinations based on calendar events or driving habits, but many users found the suggestions to be irrelevant or intrusive, cluttering the screen upon starting their vehicles—especially if you have a smaller display. If you wanted that particular bit gone or hidden, a growing number of users are reporting that the suggested locations menu is now hidden by default in their Android Auto interface.
This change does not yet appear to be universally rolled out, and the chances of it coming to you are probably higher if you have a car with a smaller display. But I know a lot of you are glad to hear this—including myself.
These two changes are now rolling out, and you'll probably see them sometime within the next two weeks.
Source: 9to5Google