It’s time for Google to let us customize maps on Android Auto, colors and all

Google Maps is a mostly reliable and robust mapping application on Android, but its problems become apparent when used via Android Auto. In addition to the often questionable navigation suggestions, the user interface is often disruptive and distracting in an environment where information must be as readable as possible. This problem stems from Google’s unwillingness to give drivers more control over the user interface.

So why am I bringing up this issue now? It’s not due to a lack of content, but due to another annoying visual bug I encountered.

Android Auto – especially Google Maps on Android Auto – is buggier than an anthill. Every update Google releases, while adding functionality, seems to break a UI element. As I got into my car last week, plugged in my trusty Android Auto dongle and drove away, I noticed something strange: Google Maps’ usually light gray roads were now darker and oversaturated, hiding the color-coded traffic congestion. A few days after I started writing this piece, the problem apparently resolved itself, but it highlights one of my biggest complaints about the way Google handles Android Auto’s interface.

Any visual change to a core element of the car is a potential distraction on the road. Imagine if your turn signals and windshield washers or the radio tuner and volume buttons changed positions overnight – that would take some getting used to, right? We all set up our cars in a way that suits our driving style, improving comfort and accessibility and therefore the safety of the occupants.

While I do my mirror checks every few seconds, I’m used to glancing at my car’s screen to check the route and traffic conditions ahead. Suppose I suddenly have to look at my screen for an extra second to gather information because the colors are different and unreadable. In that case, that’s extra time that I’m not paying attention to the road.

Granted, I’m well aware that Auto isn’t meant to be stared at all the time, nor do I operate the system while driving – that’s not what I mean. I often ask Assistant (soon to be Gemini) about the traffic jams in front of me, but given the unreliability of the system’s voice commands, it’s often necessary to look at the screen. In short, a navigation instrument that displays clear and obvious information to the driver is a safety instrument and should be treated as such.

For this reason, Android Auto’s interface should be more customizable to better suit the needs of each driver. I can adjust my seat and change the rake of my steering wheel – these small changes go a long way to improving driver comfort and – tell me – occupant safety. Controlling how Auto displays information on my car’s screen should also fall within this scope.

Google also wouldn’t have to open up much of Maps’ UI for customization. At the very least, let me change the colors used to represent roads, traffic, text, and the background. If an update suddenly makes the roads dark gray or too narrow, the traffic jam lines too faint, or the font too small, I can easily adjust and fix these problems manually. This would improve readability, minimize distractions and improve accessibility. In cases of color blindness, users can select a color profile that will help them better distinguish between different road conditions and traffic congestion. In daylight I might choose brighter colors to compensate for glare.

A bonus would be the option to shuffle or resize buttons and widgets in the UI, allowing me to use more of my car’s screen to display a larger portion of the map or make specific controls more accessible.

I’m not suggesting that Google can implement these features overnight. They should be carefully integrated into Maps, and the company should consider where to place these settings: in the car? In the app? In the Android Auto settings menu? There are clearly challenges, but Maps wouldn’t be the first or only Android Auto mapping app to offer customizable map styles.

OsmAnd, a brilliant navigation app that helps me navigate rural dirt roads, offers a wide range of visual and UI customizations. It includes a profile feature that allows me to set up the UI for phone and car navigation, using different widgets, buttons and UI elements for each. More importantly, OsmAnd also includes card styles. Granted, they come pre-installed, but each style emphasizes different data types based on its intended use. When riding with OsmAnd I use the Touring option to mark smaller passages, but cyclists can choose UniRS to mark cycle routes. At the same time, snow hunters could select Winter and Ski, which highlights the fastest ways to slide (safely) down different mountains.

If you’re willing to dig deeper, OsmAnd supports custom map styles, effectively allowing users to create their own map overlay for use with Android Auto. While it is possible to create a completely custom card style, it is not worth it given the current limitations of the app. Still, there is plenty here that Google can learn from.

Google Maps already supports layers, so a pre-made selection of additional map styles that can mask maps in different color profiles could be a possible stopgap, at least for Android Auto. It would certainly be an improvement over the current rigid option.