Google Maps tests a Commute UI to replace the Driving and Transit tabs

Android gets a head start

Unbeknownst to us, the Google Maps mobile app is again being tweaked. This time, it looks like the search giant could be replacing the Driving and Transit tabs, which appear on the bottom of the screen, with a single Commute user interface.

Tapping on the Commute option – which was first spotted by Android Police on an Android handset – brings up new interfaces sporting a title bar on the top that can be used to select the navigation instructions ‘to home’ or ‘to work’.

Depending on which option you selected, a route card will then appear on the bottom of the interface, with an ‘alternate route’ appearing below that.

While this new workflow appears streamlined, it does seem to make looking for alternative transport choices difficult.

It’s easy to switch between driving instructions and public transport options on the current Maps interface, but those options seem to be hidden within the new Commute Settings menu on the UI being tested.

With that said, this testing seems to be very limited in nature – none of us at TechRadar were able to replicate the options depicted in the images above. So it’s fair to assume the new UI is not part of a beta update and won’t be rolled out publicly before extensive testing.

SOURCE TechRadar: