About two years ago, Google announced the new Google Assistant Driving Mode, which has ended up replacing the mobile version of Android Auto in early 2022. Now, it has become the main option for smartphones at the time. driving, although the latest decision of the company in relation to Google Maps has not completely satisfied users.
The landing of this new feature was quite spectacular, since the Android Auto intelligent driving system set the bar very high. The Driving Mode suffered delays in its launch and, today, after two years since its arrival, this option has multiple shortcomings , which will be increased soon after the most recent update.
Goodbye, Google Maps
The colleagues of 9to5Google have detected a very peculiar aspect in the latest Google beta and that is that there is a reference to the removal of the “driving screen” in the assistant mode. As confirmed by the team, with this they refer to the Google Maps card that appears at the top of the screen and that shows, among other things, recent searches, suggested or saved locations…
This card did not offer real-time navigation, but was more of a shortcut to Google Maps. Although it is true that it shows the route to your destination, as well as the remaining time, but the same does not happen with the indications. This means that you can only see the path to follow , since if you want more information, you have to tap on the card.
However, when you access Google Maps from Driving Mode, it is impossible to go back no matter how much you select the shortcut. So users had to settle for the possibilities offered by the Google maps application through the icon with many squares in the lower right area, which provides access to different compatible apps.
Now, this will no longer be possible, at least in the usual way, since you can directly access Google Maps from the top search bar , where you can also use voice commands. It remains to be seen how users will receive this change, which, a priori, is quite strange.
Hit or miss?
The eradication of the Google Maps card from the assistant’s Driving Mode is positive in a way, as it sometimes became a confusing element for the user . This is because many may think that they have made a mistake when redirected to the application despite the fact that the card already shows the way.
However, the best decision on Google’s part would have been to integrate Google Maps along with all its functions in this mode. This is something that was already in the mobile version of Android Auto, so it is very rare that the American company decides not to implement it.
This decision has made the Driving Mode practically unusable , since, despite being designed for car journeys, they increasingly complicate the accessibility of the system. A great failure of the company that we will see how it is received by the community.