Help New Google Maps Question

[Goodspike]

I can't find an open thread dealing with the new Google Maps, so . . .

Is there a way to toggle the map to a zoomed out view that will show your entire route and the traffic on the entire route, as existed with the prior version?

Is the a forum that deals with these types of non-hardware specific issues?

 

[Nevis]

I can't find an open thread dealing with the new Google Maps, so . . .

Is there a way to toggle the map to a zoomed out view that will show your entire route and the traffic on the entire route, as existed with the prior version?

Is the a forum that deals with these types of non-hardware specific issues?

I think if you tap the 3-dot menu at the lower right, there's a Route Preview option that displays that view.

 

[Goodspike]

I think if you tap the 3-dot menu at the lower right, there's a Route Preview option that displays that view.

That doesn't seem to update as you move, but maybe I just didn't go far enough when I tried it. It has the Navigation triangle down in the lower left corner that says "resume" which I had assumed meant it wasn't functioning. In any case, the old expanded view highlighted the traffic on the route, while this doesn't seem to show it at all. I'll try it again in the morning when there is more traffic. Finally, not having a main screen button to toggle the views is hardly a step forward on a program you use while driving.

I did figure out that you have to go into Google Maps and select the show traffic option first for it to show traffic when you're looking at different route options. (The X button at the bottom left). I hope that setting is sticky--it didn't seem to be in the old Google Maps.

 

[Goodspike]

I've now checked it out during traffic, and it doesn't highlight the traffic conditions on the route. It doesn't totally hide them either, but it isn't anywhere near as clear as it was with the prior version.

It does show traffic information on the surrounding areas better. The old version used to sort of grey that information out.

Overall I'm not happy with the changes. The old version which toggled from close-in to expanded map views was practically stolen from the old Dash Express GPS device, which was possibly the first device to report traffic information from other users. That was a very good system. This system appears to forget the fact that people will be using it while driving.

 

[speedlever]

If you want to go back to the old version, can't you back out of the update?

 

[Goodspike]

If you want to go back to the old version, can't you back out of the update?

I assume so--at least up until the time Verizon releases the next major version of Android. I'd rather find out if there's a solution to within the software.

FYI, I'm not adverse to changes in software. I didn't complain about Win8, and in fact upgraded a second computer I had no expectation of upgrading. It's just that I considered the old version of Google Navigation to be their "killer app" and now they've ended that status.

 

[speedlever]

Oh I understand. The jury is still out on the upgraded Nav app for me too. I was looking for that traffic layer and couldn't find it.

 

[Goodspike]

I did more testing today, and the Route Preview option does work similar to the expanded map view from before, and it does show traffic, so the difference is the clear traffic areas of the route are blue rather than green. As I mentioned above, it does show surrounding traffic much better. An added bonus is the button to get back to the close up map view is larger. Still it would be nice if that were again a toggle button so that you didn't have to go through a menu to get to the alternate (and more useful) map view.

Gone is the old circle indicator that indicated whether or not there was traffic on your route. I really wish Google would make the icon which shows in the notification area change colors depending on traffic. That way if Navigation wasn't in focus, you could see your route was still clear.

Anyway, still not crazy about the new version, but it's not as bad as I feared. The main benefit seems to be faster map drawing and traffic rerouting (which I still have not encountered).

 

[shmn]

One thing that really bugs me about the update is that the map appears to be displaying a "bird's eye" view which is skewed. I prefer a 2D map view so when I'm driving, my icon is the middle of the screen and the road in front of me is straight up and down. Now, my icon is in the middle but the road is always at an angle. Looks stupid and is no longer user-friendly. In the screenshot below you can see the arrow on the new (also stupid-looking) icon pointing up but the road is crooked. In Navigation, the road is straight, but there are times when I prefer to be in map view so I can see a larger swath of map as opposed to the limited view in Navigation. I guess progress sometimes takes us forward and other times it takes us backwards.

 

[twister6]

I did more testing today, and the Route Preview option does work similar to the expanded map view from before, and it does show traffic, so the difference is the clear traffic areas of the route are blue rather than green. As I mentioned above, it does show surrounding traffic much better. An added bonus is the button to get back to the close up map view is larger. Still it would be nice if that were again a toggle button so that you didn't have to go through a menu to get to the alternate (and more useful) map view.

Gone is the old circle indicator that indicated whether or not there was traffic on your route. I really wish Google would make the icon which shows in the notification area change colors depending on traffic. That way if Navigation wasn't in focus, you could see your route was still clear.

Anyway, still not crazy about the new version, but it's not as bad as I feared. The main benefit seems to be faster map drawing and traffic rerouting (which I still have not encountered).

Funny, I started a similar thread in Note 2 section, b!tching about exactly the same thing I absolutely hate these changes. Ended up just googling for 6.14.4 apk of Google Maps to reinstall previous version, but then I went back to the latest 7.x. Latest version will always keep maps up to date, etc.

Regarding full route preview, I found another trick so you don't have to click on those 3-dots in the lower right corner. Just do a long zoom-out pinch on the map and it goes to Full Route preview. It will continue saying "Resume" in the lower left corner, but the navigation arrow will be moving it's position as you are driving and traffic color will be updated. I don't like colors they are using now, before traffic was a lot more clear. Now with that blue, not so. Plus, in the lower bar where you can toggle between time to get to destination or time of arrival - they use washed out orange color which makes a crappy contrast with a map and sometimes hard to see. At night when colors flip to a different theme, that info color is better, but not during the day. Plus, they put that "x" in the lower left corner which if you hit by accident goes back to initial start navigation screen. Also a stupid decision.

 

[Goodspike]

Regarding full route preview, I found another trick so you don't have to click on those 3-dots in the lower right corner. Just do a long zoom-out pinch on the map and it goes to Full Route preview.

Thanks! That works great--hopefully it works well in the car too. I'm left handed and my phone is on the right. It seems to require that you accomplish the task by pinching from the top left to the bottom right. If you do the top right to the bottom left (e.g. with your right hand), it doesn't work! Edit: Thinking about this it doesn't matter that I'm left handed--many/most people probably keep the phone in the center of the car where the right hand will control it.

As to the colors, I think what they were trying to do is make the surrounding traffic more visible, and they accomplished that task. But I agree the color choices are bad.

 

[Screech]

Problem I've been having is that I have to start with Wi-Fi connection to get the trip to load, if on mobile I get a network connection error, but I can go right into the browse and load pages fine. I think my provider may be blocking google's services for some reason (maybe music and video streaming) and in the end is block other important services.

Also, not found the option to view food, gas while in route.