GoKawiilJoe Maring / Android Authority
TL;DR Google Maps is testing shifting the Gemini icon to the bottom-left of the navigation screen, moving the exit icon to the right, and relocating the alternate routes icon above the report button.
AI suggestion prompts within Ask Maps could also change from horizontally scrollable cards to a vertical list, displaying all five suggestions instantly without scrolling.
A new Plus icon inside the input field will add quick options to “Post a tip or photo” and “Update a place,” linking directly to the upcoming Tell Maps feature.
Building on its recent push to transform navigation with upcoming Personal Intelligence and conversational Ask Maps trip-planning features, Google Maps also appears to be working on tweaking its interface to make its AI features much easier to access while you’re on the move. Google Maps v26.30.00 includes code for a few upcoming visual changes that improve one-handed usability and streamline how AI prompts are displayed, and we’ve managed to activate these changes ahead of their rollout to give you an early look.
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When navigation is active, Google Maps usually displays the Gemini icon in the top-right corner, within the “Next turn” header. The bottom sheet merely shows the exit icon on the left, the alternate routes icon on the right, and some route details in the middle.
Google plans to rearrange some of these, seemingly with a focus on making Gemini easier to use one-handed. The most noticeable change is that the Gemini icon could soon move to the left of the bottom sheet. The exit icon could be made more prominent and moved to the right of the bottom sheet. The alternate routes icon will find its place above the report icon outside the bottom sheet.
You can see the current UI and the upcoming UI in the screenshots below:
Current UI Upcoming UI
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