Tsveta, a passionate technology enthusiast and accomplished playwright, combines her love for mobile technologies and writing to explore and reveal the transformative power of tech.
Google Maps is easily one of the most widely used navigation apps out there, but just like with any app, updates come and go – and not all of them are for the better. Earlier this year, users already felt the sting whenadded a floating action button for playback, which you could toggle on through"Show media playback controls" in the settings.
But now, it seems like even that feature might be on its way out., Google has removed the playback bar in Maps version 25.28 for Android. That playback bar used to appear at the bottom of the screen while you were navigating, letting you play, pause, or skip music and podcasts without leaving the app. Now, both the controls and the toggle to enable them seem to be gone.Interestingly, the playback feature is still available on iOS – at least for now. I can still see it on my, which makes the Android removal all the more confusing. It's unclear if this is a bug or a deliberate move by Google, but if it is the latter, it is kind of a head-scratcher.The whole point of having playback controls in your nav app is to make things safer and more convenient. Without them, users have to leave Maps entirely, switch over to their media app, make a change, and then jump back. Even in the best-case scenario, that's a solid 10 to 20 seconds where your attention isn't fully on the road. So, if Google really did remove this on purpose, it's not just inconvenient – it's potentially dangerous. And it could push some users toward alternatives like Waze, which happens to be owned by Google, too and still includes built-in media controls. That said, Google Maps hasn't been standing still. It's rolled out a few new features recently that might help it stay on top. iPhone users, for example, recently got Still, none of that changes the fact that removing playback controls – especially without warning – feels like a step backward. Hopefully, this is just a temporary bug and not the new normal. Tsveta, a passionate technology enthusiast and accomplished playwright, combines her love for mobile technologies and writing to explore and reveal the transformative power of tech. From being an early follower of PhoneArena to relying exclusively on her smartphone for photography, she embraces the immense capabilities of compact devices in our daily lives. With a Journalism degree and an explorative spirit, Tsveta not only provides expert insights into the world of gadgets and smartphones but also shares a unique perspective shaped by her diverse interests in travel, culture, and visual storytelling.A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.Multiple accounts - one person can have only one accountTo help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts: New accounts created within the last 24 hours may experience restrictions on how frequently they can post or comment.Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a post should be moderated - please, report it.A new T-Mobile upgrade is coming, but it may not be better for everyoneT-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon: Americans are fatigued by the big three’s pricingTSMC rushes to finish its US fabs quarters ahead of scheduleEchoStar reportedly considers a deal with a Verizon MVNO to keep Boost alive
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