Google Maps: this new widget allows you to search for a destination via the home screen

Google Maps offers a brand new widget on Android. Currently in the process of being deployed, this new ultra-practical widget has a search bar to quickly find a destination and a series of shortcuts to nearby places.

Google Maps is entitled to a new widget on Android, report our colleagues from XDA Developers. The media had already spotted this new widget, while it was still under development, in the APK code of the beta 11.0.1 of the Google Maps app.

From a handful of testimonials obtained by XDA, it appears that Google has finally launched the deployment of this new widget on smartphones running Android 11 or a beta version of Android 12. This is obviously a server-side deployment. De facto, there is nothing you can do to force its appearance on your smartphone.

What’s new for the Google Maps widget on Android?

As the screenshots shared by XDA show, this new widget is made up ofa search bar. Without leaving the home screen of your smartphone, it is possible to search for a place using the Google Maps application. This shortcut allows users to search for a destination with just a few clicks.

We will notice the presence of 8 navigation shortcuts intended for ease of use. On the captures, we see a shortcut to home, work, a nearby gas station, a restaurant, a bar, a hotel or even a supermarket. Note that Google adapts the number of navigation shortcuts displayed according to the size of the widget. On Android 12, the widget also adapts to the background colors. This is one of the novelties of Material You.

To get this widget as soon as possible, we advise you to keep your Google Maps app up to date. The deployment of the novelty should not delay. To install the last beta, do not hesitate to install the APK of Google Maps by going for example on the site of APK Mirror. If you do not know how to go about it, we advise you to take a look at our file how to download an APK on Android.

Source: XDA