The driving mode pretty much turns Google Maps into a hub for the experience behind the wheel, obviously with the navigation app the core of everything.
Google Maps pretty much becomes an alternative to Android Auto for phones, with the interface clearly inspired from this app, while the feature lineup includes pretty much the same capabilities. Google Maps driving mode allows you to make calls, control the music playback, and read your messages from just one place, all while also benefitting from Google Assistant integration.
The UI has been specifically optimized to make sense for drivers and reduce the distraction behind the wheel, so it comes with big buttons that are easy to interact with.
Furthermore, the driving mode allows you to do everything without closing the navigation interface, which means you can always get directions no matter what you do.
But until now, the driving mode has been exclusive to users in the United States. The same feature also went live in Germany in early April, also as a preview, and now Google is bringing it to a series of new countries, including Australia, Great Britain, Ireland, India, and Singapore.
Once again, the driving mode can only be used in English regardless of the country, and it remains available only on Android. There’s no word as to whether Google wants to release it on iPhone as well.
The Google Assistant driving mode in Google Maps requires at least Android 9 and 4GB of RAM to run properly. You can find the instructions to activate the driving mode in Google Maps here, but make sure your device meets all requirements first and you live in a supported region.
