Let’s face it, many of us would be literally lost without Google Maps. This not only helps with directions, but also with choosing the best mode of transport, showing your HEC on an organized line. That may change, as Google is testing a new UI that looks cleaner, but is not necessarily as intuitive as before.
Sighted by XDA developers, the new interface eliminates the cluttered panel at the top and replaces it with a floating bar that includes fields for the starting point and the destination. The various modes of transport – driving, walking, cycling and public transport – are now in a scrollable card list at the bottom of the screen. As seen in the screenshots below, the interface also brings the “Start at” option from the drop-down menu and to the list at the bottom.
Left: New Google Maps route UI. Right: Exist.
Although I claim that the new UI offers a cleaner look, it makes it difficult to compare ETAs between different modes of transport. Users will have to scroll through a list to obtain the same information that was previously visible at a single glance.
The good news is that this change is not yet set in stone – it appears to be an A / B test. Let’s keep an eye on that and see if Google decides to change its mind in the future.
