Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google Maps is testing a Materials 3 Expressive-style redesign on Put on OS 5.
- The brand new UI options bigger icons and an improved format.
- The modifications have solely been rolled out to pick customers up to now.
Google Maps is getting a contemporary look on smartwatches, and it’s not ready for Put on OS 6 to do it. The app is now testing a redesigned interface with some customers on Put on OS 5, introducing a bolder, extra fashionable format in step with Google’s Materials 3 Expressive design.
Screenshots and video shared with us by Telegram person Hardik present a number of UI modifications. Captured on a Galaxy Watch 4 working Maps model 25.23.01.766241648.W, the brand new look options bigger icons and format selections that higher go well with small round screens. Often used actions like “Residence,” “Work,” and “Recents” now seem as colourful modules, whereas navigation modes are offered as compact tablets with clearer icons.
Right here’s a video of the wearable in use with the brand new design parts:
It’s a noticeable departure from the outdated UI, which leaned closely on minimalist icons and black menus. The place earlier variations typically buried choices in stacked lists, the up to date format brings all the things to the floor with larger contact targets, echoing related modifications seen lately in redesigned Put on OS variations of Gmail and Preserve.
Try these screenshots of the brand new UI:
Whereas the Maps redesign doesn’t embody the total theming discovered within the Put on OS 6 developer preview, it nonetheless displays Google’s broader push towards consistency and accessibility throughout its smartwatch apps.
Examine the photographs above to how the interface presently appears for many Put on OS Google Maps customers, as proven under:
Google hasn’t formally acknowledged the rollout, and never all customers are seeing the brand new format but throughout this testing section. Nevertheless, with extra core apps beginning to observe go well with, it’s one other signal that Google is laying the groundwork for a extra unified visible expertise.
