Google has already started rolling out both updated colours and music integration on Maps for some users.However, these new colours are not widely available yet. We at TOI-GadgetsNow also checked multipleAndroid devices to find that the latest additions are available only on Pixel devices.
Google Maps new colours
Just like Apple Maps, the updated blue colour of water bodies in Google Maps is much lighter and has a greenish tint. Users living near large water bodies like lakes, rivers and oceans will be able to notice this change quite easily.
Meanwhile, Google is using a darker green with a blueish tint to depict areas filled with greenery like parks, forests, etc. With this update, the roads shown on Google Maps have switched from white to grey. This change will make the roads much more distinctive. Also, the highways in the new update will be marked with dark grey and not yellow (like Apple Maps)
However, Google Maps will continue using Yellow/beige to depict busy areas. Moreover, the dark theme also seems unchanged and continues to be darker than Apple Maps. The top navigation bar which shows the most important information now uses a much darker shade of green.
Google Maps music integration
Google seems to have integrated music apps on Maps. It shows a strip just below the navigation screen that allows users to quickly select the music apps installed on the device and start playing songs without having to open the app.
If a user is already listening to music on their phones, a separate card appears just above the strip with a ‘play’ and ‘next’ button so you can continue to listen to the same song while driving.