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Google Maps just got a much-needed upgrade courtesy of Android 16 — what you need to know
Tom Pritchard
18 September 2025
Material 3 Expressive comes to Maps
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Google’s Material 3 Expressive update has finally come to Android 16, following the launch of the Pixel 10. But the rollout isn’t quite done yet, and Google has now revealed some new updates that will be tweaking the design of Google Maps (via 9to5Mac) — making it look a little more consistent with the rest of Android 16.
The actual map itself doesn’t look that different, and at first glance, you probably didn’t know that the app had actually been updated. It’s only when you open up the carousel menu, which lives at the bottom of the screen, that you’re likely to notice anything different.
The key feature buttons, like Direction, Start, Ask (Gemini), Save and Share are now pinned to the bottom of the menu.
The key feature buttons, like Direction, Start, Ask (Gemini), Save and Share are now pinned to the bottom of the menu. So no matter how much you scroll down through information about a specific location, you will always have easy access to those core Maps features. No more having to scroll all the way back up to the top.
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The menu itself also has some design alterations, with rounded gray boxes around the information listed. This helps it stand out a little better from the white background, and makes the new Google Maps look a lot more appealing than before.
Does it offer any practical benefit? Not especially, and that doesn’t seem to be the point of Material 3 Expressive anyway. But these little tweaks that make Google Maps a little easier on the eyes, and potentially easier to make the most of, are all welcome on my phone.
Not that this update has reached my phone yet. 9to5Mac notes that they saw the update on version 25.37.x of the Google Maps beta. I have the same version installed on my Pixel 10 Pro, but there’s no sign of the redesign anywhere. So the rollout isn’t complete just yet, and means there is going to be a wait before you see any changes.
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Tom is the Tom’s Guide’s UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It’s long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is.
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