Following last month’s home app, Google Maps is one of the last first-party apps to require Dark Mode. Fortunately, the latest version of the Android client has finally revealed that work is underway.
About APK Insight: In this ‘APK Insight’ post, we have dismantled the latest version of the app uploaded to the Google Play Store. When we decompile these files (in the case of Android apps, called APKs), we are able to see different lines of code within that hint at potential future features. Keep in mind that Google may or may not ship these features, and our interpretation of what it is may be incomplete. We will try to enable people close to that finish, however, to show them how they will look in case they get on the ship. With that in mind, read on.
Google Maps has a dark theme today, but is only in navigation mode while driving. That look applies directly to the map, as well as most UI-bottom sheets and various buttons. A strange exception is the white Google assistant microphone icon in the upper-right corner, and the degree above the green panel, which indicates the name and direction of the street.
Each part of the UI has a bright background, while the map layers are mostly in different shades of gray. Version 10.50 of Google Maps contains many strings that explicitly refer to “DARK_MODE_SETTING”.
Go to settings for lite theme
Appearance
It describes a new “Appearance” menu in Settings where you will have three options: Default Device Theme, Dark Theme and Light Theme.
Default on device theme
Dark theme
Light theme
This choice will be significantly independent of the researcher’s appearance:.
In Settings, you can also change the look of the map during navigation
Go to navigation settings
Various “Night” properties and icons were also introduced with version 10.50.
Creating a dark map is probably a big effort and not as easy as vertical colors. Google Maps includes street and place names, as well as various pins and icons. Everything needs to be optimized so that visibility is not affected. Meanwhile, switching from white to Google’s standard dark gray for everything else should be more straightforward.
Hopefully, Google Maps Dark Theme will come later. We saw a short render with the launch of Android 10 last September, but that was before we redesigned the big maps earlier this year.
FTC: We use revenue generating auto to affiliate links. More
Check out 9to5Google on YouTube for more news:
