Google has a crazy habit of shutting down products in recent years, and some of them were done out of the blue. Stadia is one of the prime examples of its decision making and unlikely to be the last. The company is likely to continue with this tradition in 2024 as well, and one of the first features to stop working could be one of the important tools in Maps.
Google Maps users can rely on Driving mode to assist them with a different interface while driving but that feature could be killed by the company in the coming months.
The details of this feature going away has been spotted in the recent version of the Google app, where a feature with the code string “view” is written to be going away in February 2024. Driving mode could become less important for the company, and the push towards AI with Assistant is likely to be the way forward for Maps users.
Having said that, Google has never been sure of its plans earlier and for all you know, this feature could be overhauled in a new way with the integration of Gemini into Maps tough to rule out. Driving mode is essentially there to help people focus on their driving and get easier access to calls, messages and more on the phone’s screen.
It is useful for people who don’t have Android Auto in their cars and don’t want to use it in wired mode. But moving to Assistant means people will have to rely on voice commands to get their messages or calls relayed, which then brings the privacy of the users into the picture.
Google hasn’t officially said that Driving Mode is shutting down, so till then, we are hoping the code strings observed recently don’t turn into reality and if that does happen, Google has a solid alternative in place to make sure people don’t lose their access to navigation and other features on their phone while driving.
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