Google Maps offers a very discreet but totally essential new feature

If the new features implemented in Google Maps are sometimes flashy, they are most often very discreet. This is the case of this small pin which appears at the edge of the screen.

We no longer present Google Maps, the now essential mapping application in all our wanderings, and even on a daily basis. The Mountain View company continues to improve its online service, and we can say that in 17 years of existence, it has had time to refine its product. If the company offers from time to time innovations that are impressive to say the least, such as Immersive View, the 3D navigation boosted by AI, the changes made to the interface most often go unnoticed.

To read — Google Maps: the features you need to know (route, GPS, Street view)

The Maps application stays true to Google’s motto which is “to organize information on a global scale to make it accessible and useful to everyone”. It now incorporates a white floating pin on a red background which indicates the direction in which the last location searched on your smartphone is located. The idea is quite simple, and users will not be confused by the appearance of this new visual element. For recenter the screen on your previous search, just tap on it. Objective fulfilled.

Google Maps now displays a small pin that will help you orient yourself

If we add to this very discreet addition, the possibilities offered by augmented reality and Immersive View, we see thatnow it’s hard to lose your way as long as you know how to use the essential features of the application, routes, GPS, and other Street View. Among the new features recently offered by Google, but still related to your travels or vacations, we note that the search engine and Maps form a winning combo more than ever.

The firm is launching new features to travel less expensively. Will this be enough to slow the rise of ChatGPT, the all-purpose chatbot that more and more people are using to organize their holidays?, This change in the Google Maps UI has been spotted on a Pixel 6a running Android 13.