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

(Image credit: Google)

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.

The new Commute tab | Image courtesy: Android Police

The new Commute tab | Image courtesy: Android Police

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.

Sharmishta Sarkar
Managing Editor (APAC)

Sharmishta is TechRadar's APAC Managing Editor and loves all things photography, something she discovered while chasing monkeys in the wilds of India (she studied to be a primatologist but has since left monkey business behind). While she's happiest with a camera in her hand, she's also an avid reader and has become a passionate proponent of ereaders, having appeared on Singaporean radio to talk about the convenience of these underrated devices. When she's not testing camera kits or the latest in e-paper tablets, she's discovering the joys and foibles of smart home gizmos. She's also the Australian Managing Editor of Digital Camera World and, if that wasn't enough, she contributes to T3 and Tom's Guide, while also working on two of Future's photography print magazines Down Under.