Google Maps tweaks UI to waste less screen space

Google is always introducing new services, and while plenty of those don’t pass the test of time, others become institutions that we can barely imagine living without: Gmail, Docs, and of course, Google Maps. For as useful as Maps is, though, have the decades of development it’s gone through and the addition of innumerous features left it in a state of clutter? That’s the impression we got from a poll last year, with readers telling us they wanted to clean up how Maps works. We might finally be starting to see some progress along those lines as Google pushes out a redesign that puts the emphasis back on maps.

Even getting a basic task done in Maps can involve navigating across a bunch of different UI elements: searching for a place, choosing your mode of transit, and previewing steps along the way. While the end result is perfectly functional, Google’s been working on a new way to manage these elements that feels a bit more natural, while keeping the map itself the focus.

This shift has been in the works for months now, and 9to5Google has been tracking its progress since spotting early glimpses back in January. After testing a revision a few months later, it looks like the final result is ready to go, with the site reporting that Maps for Android 11.136.x has started making the new look widely available. Admittedly, we’re not seeing it just yet, but the server-side rollout may be ongoing.

The big difference here is a move away from a full-screen look to one more focused on rounded-edge sheets that slide up into place over the background of the map. That’s especially noticeable with things like place listings, which now prompt you to tap an ‘x’ to close them, and appear to float on top of the map.

Honestly, it looks pretty nice, and we imagine this latest tweak to Maps getting some solid support or, at least, going over a heck of a lot better than last year’s widely panned recoloring. Check Maps on your Android device to see if the changes have hit you already.