Google Maps' confusing new color palette has now reached Android Auto

Google Maps’ confusing new color palette has now reached Android Auto،

Google Maps has undergone a significant visual transformation announced by the company earlier this month. This redesign included a few new features, but also introduced a new, cooler color palette that was met with mixed reactions. While the initial rollout only included Android, iOS, and web versions of Maps, it is now also rolling out to its Android Auto counterpart.

The new design’s color palette replaces traditional warm hues with a more refreshing and contemporary aesthetic, designed to improve usability and overall user experience. The most notable change is the replacement of the familiar beige color of the roads with a range of grays.

The goal of this change was to make the roads stand out more against the backdrop of parks and forests, which now feature a lighter shade of green. Additionally, highways have been given a darker gray tint with subtle blue undertones, blending in seamlessly with bodies of water which now display a lighter blue tint.

These changes are complemented by a reduction in the use of yellow, making orange restaurant pins more distinguishable. This design choice aims to ensure that key points of interest are easily identifiable, thereby improving the overall usability of the app. The new color palette also extends beyond the map itself, permeating the app’s UI.

As originally reported 9to5Google, these changes were considered quite shocking and even dangerous by many users of the application. The feeling echoes all along Reddit And other social media with users stating that the new colors make it difficult to distinguish between road types. Even a former designer of Google Maps felt the need to voice his displeasure with the direction the Google Maps team was taking.

Source – @elizlaraki on X

In fact, some users found the new scheme with brighter colors to mimic that of Apple Maps and adopted Google Maps support to express their frustration. Although Google believes that the new palette provides several benefits and improves readability, it does not appear that the user base agrees with this opinion.

Google has been gradually rolling out the new color scheme since October, with testing starting in August. The update is now widely available across web, Android, and iOS platforms, including Android Auto. It remains unclear what Google’s position is regarding user complaints or whether the company intends to implement further changes.