Google Maps: activate the new Material You look widget – Frandroid

The new Material You-style Google Maps widget is coming to everyone on Android. You should therefore be able to activate it.

New Google Maps widget // Source: Frandroid

Google maps gets a new widget on Android – even for people who have not yet tasted Android 12. Indeed, according to Xataka Android, the deployment of this novelty seems to have been activated for everyone globally. As a reminder, this widget was expected for a few weeks already.

At Frandroid, we have indeed observed the arrival of the new Google Maps widget on a Oppo Find X3 Pro updated to Android 12 and on a Samsung galaxy a41 under Android 11. As a reminder, until now, the navigation application rather offered shortcuts to integrate into the home screen – they were not quite what we can call widgets.

The new Google Maps widget // Source: Frandroid

The new Google Maps widget // Source: Frandroid

The new widget in question features multiple tiles and rounded corners – this is where you can feel the influence of the aesthetic guidelines of Material You.

Shortcuts to guide you home

The window thus groups together several shortcuts (Home, Work, Restaurants, Bakery, etc.) which will allow you to directly launch the corresponding request in Google Maps. There is also a search bar. Be aware, however, that you won’t actually type anything into the widget. Indeed, if you press the bar in question, you land in the app with the keyboard deployed.

It should therefore no longer be seen as a shortcut to the Google Maps search and not as a function allowing you to find an address without leaving the home screen. Remember that new widgets are also showing up on other Google applications.

We can cite the X of Google Drive Where the also rounded widget of Google Photos.