Dark mode is coming to Google Maps, according to a cheeky hint from Google

Google Maps
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

The dark mode phenomenon is spreading through apps like an inky plague, and Google is just one of the companies to fully embrace it. With Android 10 having a system-wide dark mode much like iOS 13, more and more apps are starting to get a makeover. Google Maps is yet to get the dark treatment, but Google has just given us a sneaky tease of its arrival.

In a post on the Android Instagram account, Google shows the Maps app switching between light and dark mode – even though this is not yet an option in the app:

Google takes the line, as many people do, that your eyes and your battery will thank you for switching to dark mode, but the company gives no indication of when we'll be able to try it out for ourselves.

That Maps is being given a darker lick of paint should come as not surprise. Not only does it mean the app will be in line with the growing number of other Google apps that include a dark mode option, but Google Maps already has a night-time mode that prevent you from being blinded while driving.

There have also been signs – as Android Police notes – of an as-yet incomplete dark mode showing up in the beta version of Google Maps.

The reception the Instagram post is overwhelmingly positive, and there are a few calls to Google to make the dark theme AMOLED-friendly. Although the company is given little away in hard details, it would be surprising if AMOLED support was not a feature when dark mode does eventually roll out to Google Maps.

Via Android Police

Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson
Freelance writer

Sofia is a tech journalist who's been writing about software, hardware and the web for nearly 25 years – but still looks as youthful as ever! After years writing for magazines, her life moved online and remains fueled by technology, music and nature.


Having written for websites and magazines since 2000, producing a wide range of reviews, guides, tutorials, brochures, newsletters and more, she continues to write for diverse audiences, from computing newbies to advanced users and business clients. Always willing to try something new, she loves sharing new discoveries with others.


Sofia lives and breathes Windows, Android, iOS, macOS and just about anything with a power button, but her particular areas of interest include security, tweaking and privacy. Her other loves include walking, music, her two Malamutes and, of course, her wife and daughter.


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