It’s the navigation app of choice for millions of people around the world, but if you use Google Maps you may have noticed some unusual changes today.
Google has started rolling out a new app color scheme – and many users are furious about the new choices.
Roads are now gray instead of white or yellow, while the active route is a much darker shade of blue and alternate routes are light blue instead of gray.
On social media, several users have criticized the changes for being both difficult to read and unappealing, with some users calling the new colors ‘cold and ugly’.
Meanwhile, eye experts have raised concerns that the more muted color palette will make the maps harder for people with color blindness to read.
Google has started rolling out a new app color scheme – and many users are furious about the new choices
On social media, several users have criticized the changes for being both difficult to read and unappealing, with some users calling the new colors ‘cold and ugly’.
On X (formerly Twitter), users expressed their frustration and confusion over the decision to change the app’s iconic color scheme.
“Did someone change the color scheme of Google Maps?” one confused X user asked, adding, “I don’t like it.”
“Google Maps’ new colors are so cold and ugly,” said another commenter, adding, “Google Maps was always so warm and cozy.”
Another said: ‘What’s with the strange color scheme in Google Maps standard mode? Please bring back the original color scheme.”
Meanwhile, another added bluntly: ‘This new Google Maps color scheme is awful.’
Many social media users say they don’t like the new color scheme, calling it “ugly,” “weird” and even “hideous”
Other social media users pointed out that the change has caused some unusual and unwanted color changes in natural features such as beaches and water.
One X user shared a photo of Blackpool Beach and wrote: ‘The new Google Maps color for ‘beach!’ this is ashen, which is an unusual choice.’
Another shared an image of the map of New York and complained that the changes had reduced the contrast between water and land.
“Why did they do this with Google Maps,” they wrote. “Why did they change the color of the water.”
One X user shared a photo of Blackpool Beach and wrote: ‘The new Google Maps color for ‘beach!’ is this ashen, which is an unusual choice’
The color change of water was of particular concern to some X users, who complained that it did not contrast sufficiently with land
However, these changes are not only unattractive, but could also make it a lot harder for people with color blindness to use the app, according to Robin Spinks, head of design at the Royal National Institute for Blind People.
“We know there are reports of people having issues with the update,” Spinks told MailOnline.
“We are aware of the issue and have already spoken to the relevant teams [at Google].’
Mr. Spinks also points out that it is not uncommon for new updates to cause unintended accessibility issues for people with vision problems that need to be corrected later.
People with color disorders are particularly affected by a design trend that favors “opaque or milky color schemes that offer little contrast.”
“It is a constant challenge to promote inclusive design at every stage of the development process,” he added.
“One important thing we do is enable designers to better understand the intersection between inclusive design and great design.”
The new update has reduced the contrast between certain map features. Experts warn that the app will become less accessible for color blind users
Similarly, Kathryn Albany-Ward, founder of Color Blind Awareness, told MailOnline: ‘Honestly, Google Maps wasn’t accessible to color blind people before and no matter what they’ve done, it still hasn’t made Maps accessible.
‘Considering that there are 300 million color blind people worldwide, that is a lot of people to be discriminated against because they cannot understand the essential characteristics of the product.
‘The colors of the traffic features were useless and are still useless.
“Google has not met the requirements (or even tried to do so). [comply with]) the internationally recognized standard for web-based information.
‘These guidelines state that minimum color contrast ratios between different colors should be applied or, if this is not possible, the information should be given in some other way.’
The update was first noticed in August, although it was originally limited to a limited test.
Since then, users started noticing the changes starting in September, but the change will now roll out to more devices on both Android and iOS.
Google has been contacted for a response.