TECH

Google Maps: a very small novelty that pleases

Google Maps has a small discreet feature to keep in mind the location of a place that has been selected even after scrolling the map.

Google Maps is a navigation application that regularly adds new features. Some represent major updates, others are a little more discreet, but still very interesting. The one that interests us today belongs to the second category.

Some people using the app may see an improvement to the red pin that appears when you select a place on the map. This pin highlights the place in question on the planisphere. Google Maps now makes it more convenient.

The novelty is quite simple to summarize. Once you’ve selected a location and the red pin appears, you can then continue to explore your surroundings by moving around the map. In doing so, if the pin leaves your screen, it will continue to be indicated by a small icon — a black pin on a red background — pointing in its direction.

A welcome addition to Google Maps...So it’s a minor improvement, but one that has the potential to improve the user experience a lot. Without going so far as to imagine various scenarios where this addition may be relevant, it is always good to welcome the arrival of visual elements giving geographical indications without being visually intrusive in the interface of the application.

Note that pressing the new small icon allows you to quickly recenter the map on the previously selected location. A discreet and practical addition in short.

Note that at present, it is not certain that everyone benefits from this addition, Google has apparently not yet communicated officially on this subject. At the house of Frandroidwe spotted this feature on a Pixel 7 with the Maps beta and on a Galaxy S23 Ultra enjoying the latest stable version of the application.

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Omar Belkaab