Google Maps is a smart navigation app, and not using a frills truly wanted. It is, if truth be told, simply some of the absolute best navigation apps round, with out even starting to believe the extras. But that doesn’t imply that there aren’t any frills to be discovered. Aside from the facility to enter Dark Mode and a couple of different choices, you’ll be able to even pass as far as to customise your automobile icon in Google Maps, if truth be told.
Specifically, this adjustments the icon representing your location. By default, that’s an arrow icon that’s harking back to the vintage arcade identify “Asteroids.” Unless you’re in movement, that may additionally display up as a easy spherical, circle icon. In both case, Google has coloured the icon blue by way of default and it’s simple to identify.
Now, in consequence, this doesn’t do a lot for the person enjoy. And there aren’t any capability adjustments to notice, both. In reality, the customization itself is quite restricted. That’s ignoring the bizarre partnership and related adjustments Google makes once in a while — generally, as an easter egg — to make issues even higher. But we’ll talk about that momentarily.
In the meantime, if you happen to’ve been having a look to make your enjoy extra non-public, Google Maps has choices. And this information units out to turn you easy methods to customise your automobile icon. So if that sounds interesting to you, learn on.
Here’s easy methods to trade your automobile icon in Google Maps
Before getting began, it’s price noting a couple of caveats and quirks about this selection. First, whilst this works on cellular and tablets, it isn’t going to paintings out of doors of the cellular app. So, as an example, you gained’t be capable to trade the icon this manner the use of the web site for Google Maps.
Equally as necessary, this transformation simplest works for navigation by way of automobile. It doesn’t observe to commute by way of teach, bus, or different public shipping. So, if you happen to use Google Maps to commute by way of the ones way, this customization gained’t observe to you.
As famous above, there also are at all times doubtlessly further choices for converting the icon, such because the Nintendo partnership famous above. That partnership unfolded, quickly, an way to display the corporate’s mascot riding his iconic Go-Kart round as a substitute of the usual icons. That isn’t to be had as of this writing, however new choices are once in a while if hardly ever or quickly, added. So it’s price preserving an eye fixed out for the ones however no longer essentially to be expecting them.
- Open up the Google Maps software in your cellular software or Android tablet
- In the quest bar on the best of the web page, input a location to commute to. We’ve decided on the American Museum of Natural History in New York, for our pattern pictures. But this step is a very powerful. Since the icon simplest seems all over navigation, you’ll wish to be navigating first to modify the icon. Although as soon as set, it is going to keep set as your variety till you exchange it once more
- Select “Directions” — after which “Start,” if Google Maps doesn’t robotically start navigation. You may additionally wish to input a kick off point and doubtlessly you’ll wish to transfer over to the ‘automobile’ commute mode if that’s no longer your standard mode of transportation
- Once navigation has began, you’ll realize that your commute icon — your automobile icon — has modified to a triangular arrow form
- Tap at the automobile icon to make a choice it
- Google Maps will show a variety of choices, 4 in general, to customise your automobile icon. These come with the usual blue-colored arrow icon, a red-colored sedan icon, a yellow-colored SUV, and a inexperienced pickup. The icons are arguably moderately cartoonish, and as famous above, those are the only real customization choices, as of this writing. So customizations are quite restricted. Users can’t even, as an example, trade the colour of the automobiles
- Tapping on any of the introduced icons, as proven within the pictures underneath, displayed alongside the decrease part of the app UI, will trade your automobile icon in Google Maps, to customise your enjoy. Or on the very least, to raised fit the automobile you in reality power. As indicated already, the icon will proceed to turn as the chosen icon throughout app periods, till you actively trade the icon once more
- You can trade your icon once more at any time by way of following those steps once more
