Important Feature for Maps Users Could Be Shut Down by Google
Google has a crazy habit of shutting down products in recent years, and some of them were made from scratch. Stadia is one of the best examples of that decision-making, and it probably won’t be the last. The company is likely to continue this tradition in 2024, and one of the first features to go down could be one of Maps’ most important tools.
Google Maps users can rely on Driving Mode to help them use a different interface while driving, but the company may kill this feature in the coming months.
Details of the removal of this feature have been spotted in a recent version of the Google app, where the feature with the code string “view” is written to be removed in February 2024. Driving mode may become less important for the company, and a move towards artificial intelligence with Assistant is likely the way forward for Maps users.
That being said, Google has never been sure about its plans in the past, and this feature could be revamped in a new way through integration with Gemini Maps, which is hard to rule out. Driving mode helps people focus on driving and more easily access calls, messages and more on the phone screen.
It is useful for people who don’t have Android Auto in their cars and don’t want to use it in wired mode. But the move to Assistant means people will have to rely on voice commands to get their messages or calls forwarded, bringing user privacy into the picture.
Google hasn’t officially said that driving mode is shutting down, so until then, let’s hope the recently spotted code strings don’t turn out to be true, and if they do, Google has a solid option to make sure people don’t lose access to navigation and other phone functions while driving.
