Android Auto and the various available apps are built with safety and quick interactions in mind. This involves putting controls close to the driver, but that’s not always the case in some parts of the world. To help remedy that, Google Maps in Android Auto can now adapt its UI for right-hand-drive vehicles.
Right-hand traffic with left-hand drive (steering wheel) is used in the majority of the world. As such, Google Maps in Android Auto has always placed key controls at the left side of the touchscreen.
To accommodate the opposite traffic/driving configuration, Google Maps will now place the navigation bar and turn information cards on the right side of displays when appropriate:
Users across the world using Android Auto in their vehicles will now see the user interface orient itself optimally, in layout and language, depending on whether you drive a left-hand drive vehicle or right-hand drive vehicle. Worry no more about struggling to use hard-to-reach buttons.
This is meant to address buttons being too far for the driver to reach. This optimization is applied automatically based on the vehicle, but Google will soon add a manual setting to go back to the more familiar orientation.
Google says it has “also fixed some issues associated with right-to-left languages for Google Maps in Android Auto so please take another look.”
In terms of broader availability:
This feature will be available for all users worldwide using the latest version of Android Auto.
More about Google Maps:
- Maps and Calendar are the latest to get animated splash screens on Android 12 [Updated]
- Google Maps bug sees navigation voice switch to an Indian accent at random, fix incoming
- Hands-on: Google Maps for Wear OS 3 keeps it simple, leaves older hardware with a broken mess
- New Google Maps prompt makes clear that turn-by-turn navigation requires you to crowdsource data
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