New Google Maps look for Android uses simple sheets
Last year, Google made changes to how Google Maps looks on Android phones, introducing a new way to show information with something called sheets. Now, this new look is spreading across the entire app.
Before, when you looked at places on the map, they took up the whole screen. But now, they appear in sheets, which means you can still see a little bit of the map at the top. This helps you keep track of where you are even when you’re looking at other information.
This sheet design started with the “Explore” tab, but now it’s also coming to the “You” and “Contribute” tabs. When you click on these tabs, a sheet pops up over the map, but you can still see the map behind it. If you want to search for something, the search bar is always at the top.
In the “You” tab, you can see half of the map while you scroll, and there’s a button for notifications in the corner. This makes the app easier to use because everything looks the same no matter which part you’re using.
So far, this new design is only on some phones with Google Maps version 25.04.01.x. It’s not everywhere yet and might still be in the testing phase.
Also, in 2024, Google made the bottom bar simpler, reducing it from five sections to just three, and added a nice teal color to freshen things up.