Google unveils major change to the Google Maps app for Android

Google has updated its Google Maps app for Android users, and there are some major changes to the user interface.

The navigational app which millions of Australians rely on daily is constantly evolving and, while the updates might take some getting used to, they have been designed to increase usability.

The most recent changes to the user interface (UI) are not yet available in iOS but are being rolled out globally for Android users.

The most obvious change has modified how locations are displayed on the screen after the user plots them in.

A tap on the location search bar will still bring up a full-screen page of predicted location suggestions, as usual, but once the destinations have been entered the UI has a lighter look and feel.

Now, rather than the top quarter of the map being blocked out with both the journey locations and buttons to determine the mode of transport — driving, public transport, ride-share or taxi service, or cycling — only the locations will remain.

They will float over the map in a bubble at the top of the screen, while the mode-of-transport buttons will be displayed on an expandable “sheet” at the bottom of the screen — improving thumb-reachability for the hand holding the phone.

The various sheets, which pop up all over the app, have also had an interface-lift and now feature more rounded edges.

All of this allows more of the map to be in view during use.

However, a previous function which allowed the search bar to be completely pushed offscreen with a swipe upwards, and returned with a tap on the map, has been scrapped with the update.