It looks like a visual refresh for Google Maps is underway, which you may have already noticed on your phone – and the new color scheme used on the maps makes the interface look much more like Apple Maps.
Google hasn’t officially said anything yet, but 9to5Google and others (including some members of the TechRadar team) have noticed the refresh. At this stage, it’s not clear if the new look is being tested or is here to stay.
Instead of white roads and a gray background, Google Maps has now switched to gray roads and a white background, like Apple Maps. The blue of oceans and lakes has also become brighter, again reminiscent of the rival charting app.
The green colors are also darker, while the navigation uses a dark blue route arrow instead of a lighter blue one (which can turn yellow or red depending on traffic). There are also in-app tweaks to the bottom bar, with a smaller set of tabs below the map.
Three-year cycle
If Ars Technica points out that we haven’t seen such a visual refresh for Google Maps since 2020. The last one was in 2017, so if this is indeed a permanent change, it would fit into the schedule of previous updates.
According to Google, not everyone has the update yet android police, so it looks like it’s a staggered rollout that won’t happen on all devices at the same time. If you don’t already have it, try updating the Google Maps app on your phone.
As for the adoption of the Apple Maps color scheme, that’s pretty obvious – but the focus groups from both Apple and Google have undoubtedly reached the same conclusions about which colors work best for the human eye when it comes to maps.
Similar apps also have another benefit for Google and Apple: they make it easier for people to switch. If Google makes an official announcement about this, we’ll update this article to reflect that.