A nice new feature allows us to customize the icon of our car while using the Google Maps navigator
Google Maps updates with a nice new feature in the interface: now, in navigator mode, we can choose an icon to indicate our car. This novelty had already been shown, but then withdrawn, from the iOS app a couple of years ago and, above all, it's very similar to the Waze icons.
The icons, by the way, are three-dimensional and therefore the car model is displayed from various angles while driving. This novelty, in fact, is only available in navigator mode with car route. It's not an experimental feature, but is already available on many official Android apps. There's no news yet, however, of sightings of the new icons on stable iOS apps, but it's very likely that Google will bring them to iPhones as well.
How to change the car icon in Google Maps
Normally, when we activate the navigator on Google Maps, our position is indicated with a blue arrow on the map, which rotates according to orientation and direction of travel. This arrow is the point where we have to tap to choose the icon of the car.
After tapping the arrow, in fact, Maps will show us a small window at the bottom with the message "Choose an icon for the vehicle". The available icons, in addition to the classic arrow, at the moment are only three: a red sedan, a yellow SUV and a green pickup.
The graphics used are not the best and the "cars" are drawn in a very spartan way, not to mention the fact that compared to the arrow they are quite bulky on the map (and on small screens this can be a problem). However, there is no doubt that the function is nice and many might like it. It can't be ruled out that in the future, Google may include other icons or, why not, even some "Easter egg" in this new section of Maps.
The latest news from Maps
In recent months, Google Maps developers seem to be very busy, as they have introduced many new features in both official and stable apps as well as in beta apps.
At the end of September, for example, a new interface dedicated to Android Auto was introduced, while the dark mode tests were extended to more users. A few days before, Google inserted data on Covid-19 infections directly into Maps. Finally, going back to the end of August, the "Saved Places" section was changed, making it easier to read.