Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Phones
  3. Mobile
  4. News

Your Google Maps app is about to look different. Here’s what’s changing

Add as a preferred source on Google
Screenshot of the new teal color in the Google Maps app.
Google Maps' new teal color Joe Maring / Digital Trends

If you own an Android device such as a Samsung Galaxy S24 or Google Pixel 9 Pro, there is a small design update coming to the Google Maps app that aims to enhance its visual appearance and user experience. The app will be adopting a new interface color scheme, which could make navigation and interaction feel fresher.

As first reported by 9to5Google, Google Maps is set to change its signature blue accent for buttons and other user interface elements to a dark shade of teal.

Recommended Videos

In addition to this color change, text labels within the app will transition from blue to a black hue. This shift may improve readability, particularly in different lighting conditions, and help users focus on the content without the distraction of vibrant colors.

Blue will also be removed from the app’s floating action button, which typically provides quick access to important features like starting navigation or adding a location.

This color change occurs approximately a year after Google Maps modified the colors of map features like bodies of water and roads. This change faced some initial criticism. More significant changes were made to Google Maps earlier this year when it picked up a cleaner home screen, new pins colors, and a simplified interface.

Keep an eye out for the blue-to-teal Google Maps update, as it could be rolling out soon on your Android device, providing a refreshed look for one of the most widely used navigation apps. If you don’t have it yet, be patient because it’s coming.

Bryan M. Wolfe
Former Mobile and A/V Freelancer
Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.
Android 17 makes a strong case for ignoring Android version numbers entirely
When the most noticeable change is a better Quick Settings button, the annual update cycle starts looking more like branding than progress.
Android 17 logo.

Android 17 finally separated the Wi-Fi and mobile data buttons, and I hate how much that improved my mood. For years, Android treated internet access like one mysterious blob, as if Wi-Fi and cellular data were emotionally codependent. In Android 17 Beta 3, Google split the old combined Internet button into separate Wi-Fi and mobile data tiles, making each connection easier to switch off with a single tap.

That’s a good change, which is also why it’s a little damning. When one of the cleanest wins in a major OS update is “the buttons make sense again,” the celebration gets awkward fast.

Read more
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 lineup could cost hundreds more this year
Samsung's next foldable comes with premium pricing pre-installed
Leaked render of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8.

Samsung's next generation of foldable smartphones may arrive with significantly higher price tags than their predecessors. According to information shared by Roland Quandt of WinFuture, the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 8, Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Flip 8, and the Galaxy Watch 9 lineup are all expected to see price increases in Europe when they are unveiled later this month.

While flagship smartphones have steadily become more expensive over the past few years, the leaked pricing suggests Samsung could be taking another sizeable step upward, particularly for buyers opting for higher storage variants.

Read more
OxygenOS made OnePlus phones special. Now, it might go away forever
The Android skin that defined what a clean, fast phone could be is officially ending. ColorOS is what comes next.
Person holding OnePlus 15.

If you bought a OnePlus because of OxygenOS, for the relatively clean, fast, and actually-useful Android experience, your phone may be the last one to get it. 

According to a report from the Indian outlet Smartprix, OxygenOS and Realme UI are both reportedly being phased out. If accurate, everything would move to ColorOS, the skin atop Android on Oppo smartphones, globally, across all three brands.

Read more