GOOGLE Maps officially going under the knife and rolling out some new design changes to its Android app.
But owners of Android devices are fuming as the facelift has removed a much-used feature.
The redesign has been in the works for the last few months, according to Android Central.
And after a long wait, it is finally being rolled out to Android phones.
However, it is yet to be released for iOS devices.
Google Maps will now only display your start and end destinations once you’ve plugged them in.
The redesign has also replaced full-screen menus with sheet-based layouts which show more of the map when using one of the app’s menus.
There is now a new ‘x’ button in the top right hand corner of the screen that is used to close sheets.
Although, users can also close sheet menus by swiping back from the left/right edge of their devices.
But as 9to5Google pointed out, the redesign has removed the ability to swipe up on the search bar to see the map.
Consumers have often have a hard-time accepting changes made to apps, particularly when navigation techniques are switched-up overnight.
“Nooooooooooo,” one onlooker wrote on Reddit in response to losing the swipe up ti see the map navigation.
Another said: “Oh no I’ve got the update… why would they do this.
“I’ve also got the new Photos [app] redesign which is horrendous as well, it’s completely broken, they’re really bad with update qualities and feature changes.”
A third person replied, saying: “I sure love the ‘disable auto updates’ toggle.”
By Millie Turner, Technology & Science Reporter
Every few years or so, apps go under the knife for a facelift, often changing colour theme shades, fonts, and layouts.
Then an executive comes out with a statement about how ‘contemporary’ the change is, and how it was ‘designed with users in mind’.
But apps, and the folks behind them, need to wise up to one simple fact: people don’t like change.
And there will almost always be backlash to the unveiling of a shiny new design.
We all know how it feels: opening up an app you use everyday, awash with that disgusted, frustrated feeling as your muscle memory is tripping you up over a new layout.
Whether its an “ugly” new WhatsApp update, a Facebook redesign that simply looks “gross” or a Twitter (now X) switch-up that literally gives its users headaches – people like what they know.
Human psychology plays a big role in this.
It’s obviously unreasonable to expect app’s to fade into relics of their past.
So what’s the remedy?
Time – time for consumers to have a little kick and a scream before settling into the new norm.
