Google Maps Is Testing an Ultra Power Saving Mode

Google Maps is an extremely useful tool that millions rely on for driving and navigation instructions, but if your phone runs out of battery, you're in trouble. Smartphones have several battery-saving modes users can take advantage of, but now it sounds like Google's busy building its own ultra-low-power mode specifically for Maps.

Imagine having a phone that's nearly out of battery. You don't have a charger, but you really need a map for directions or navigation. That's the situation Google's trying to solve. Google Maps is already packed with features , but more are always welcome.

The folks at Android Authority did some digging in the latest Maps update for Android and found several new UI elements and code for power-saving options inside Google Maps. In an app teardown, several new lines of code mention power savings mode, enabling the feature, and one line mentions "to save battery, press the power button while driving."

I find it odd that this would be an app-specific feature, considering Android devices all have a power-saving mode for the phone itself. If a user is seriously low on battery, they can always turn that on. That said, I guess if you're actively driving and don't want to fuss with settings menus and be distracted, a shortcut directly in Maps sounds useful.

Looking at the example images extracted from the latest update, Google appears to be stripping almost everything from Maps during a power-saving session. There are fewer UI elements on the screen, and there are no buildings or anything of that nature. It's a very minimal experience with a black and white screen, the obvious roads, and a few turn directions.

So far, this helpful new feature will support walking, driving, and two-wheeler navigation, but the site wasn't able to see any signs of public transit directions. Then, oddly enough, it doesn't work in landscape mode, at least not in its current form.

It's interesting that Google is having users tap the power button while driving to activate it, but it's worth mentioning that this is only in the testing phase. The entire design, interface, and activation mode could change between now and when it inevitably gets released to the public.

Either way, it looks like Google is investigating various ways to save battery for crucial apps like maps and navigation directions. If you're in an emergency with a phone that's about to die, this could be immensely helpful. Hopefully, the feature set will improve over time, and when Google's ready to roll this out to the public, we'll report back with more details. In the meantime, check out these 9 Maps gestures every driver should know .

Source: Android Authority