Latest news with #mediaplayback
Android Authority
4 days ago
- Android Authority
Google Maps brings music controls back, but the fix isn't perfect
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority TL;DR Media playback controls are back in Google Maps. Google confirmed earlier this week that the disappearance was a bug. The fix is likely being issued as a server-side update. Google Maps has long had media playback controls to minimize distractions when navigating. However, earlier this week, those controls suddenly disappeared without warning. Now it appears Google has brought the controls back. After reports started coming in about the missing playback controls, Google confirmed that a bug was behind the unintended removal and a fix was on its way. Fast forward a few days, it appears that fix is starting to roll out now. The folks over at Android Police have spotted the return of the media controls on multiple devices running Google Maps versions 25.28.04 and 25.30.00. Considering that these are the same versions that were affected by the bug, it's likely this fix is a server-side update. Not only have the playback controls returned, but so has the setting to enable the feature. This setting can be found by tapping on your profile picture in the top right corner of the screen, scrolling down to Settings, and locating Navigation. You should see the option to 'Show media playback controls' right above Alert options. This issue was first spotted only about a week ago. So the fact that Google rolled out a fix this quickly is a pleasant surprise. However, there may be some more work that needs to be done. Android Police notes that the media playback controls don't appear in the collapsed card while in navigation mode. The controls are only visible after you expand the card.
The Sun
7 days ago
- The Sun
Drivers fume over infuriating Google Maps change after key feature suddenly vanishes from phones
AN INFURIATING Google Maps change is driving users around the bend after a key feature vanishes from their phones. With the removal of Driving Mode, users had to use the 'Show media playback controls' feature that works with apps like YouTube Music and Spotify. When navigating, this extends the bottom sheet with a bar that has album art, song name, and artist at the left. In addition to playback controls at the right, tapping 'Browse' shows nine suggestions to quickly switch. There's also a shortcut to 'Open YouTube Music.' Enabling this blocks the bottom half of the 'Report' button, but it's still tappable reports As of Google Maps 25.28 (stable) and 25.29 (beta), these media controls have disappeared over the past week or so. Settings > Navigation loses the 'Show media playback controls' toggle and 'Default media app' option. The feature remains available on iOS but without Assistant Driving Mode, Google Maps really should provide easy access to media controls for Android users. In an update posted on 9to5google - Google has said that it is 'actively working to fix an issue that is affecting media playback controls on Google Maps.' The disappearance was therefore just a bug which should be rectified soon. Over 10 million Android users told to turn off devices after Google exposes 'infection' – exact list of models affected More Google Maps News Homeowners are being urged to take an extra step to protect their property, and it starts with Google Maps. Experts warn that criminals are using the app's Street View tool to scope out homes before breaking in. One way to block burglars is to blur your home on Google Maps. Street View images offer a clear shot of your property, including possible entry points, layout, and even your security setup. That's exactly the kind of information criminals are looking for, an expert said. Professor Christopher Hermann, of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, said thieves often check online before striking. Protect your bank from raiding scams Google Maps has also made an important change that can protect your bank from raiding scams. The web mapping platform allows businesses to set up profiles which show up in local searches. Most people assume they are accurate business listings, however, it appears thousands of them are fake and part of a scam. Google recently unearthed over 10,000 phony listings in Google Maps, CBS News reported on Wednesday. The listings varied from outright fake businesses to legitimate accounts that had been hacked or hijacked by cybercriminals. Google swiftly removed the listings and filed a lawsuit against the alleged scammers.
Android Authority
21-07-2025
- Android Authority
Google Maps just made controlling your music a navigation nightmare
Ryan Haines / Android Authority TL;DR Google Maps v25.28 stable and v25.29 beta have removed in-app media playback controls. The removed feature allowed easy access to play, browse suggestions, or open the default music app. It's unclear if the removal was intentional or just a bug, as the functionality still exists on iOS. Google Maps remains one of the best apps for Android devices, but it's not perfect. There are plenty of ways Google can improve the Maps experience, and a good starting step is to keep features that users use and not remove them, especially if replacement functionality isn't available. The latest change to Google Maps makes it significantly difficult to control your music while navigating, and it's pretty infuriating. As spotted by 9to5Google, Google Maps v25.28 stable as well as Maps v25.29 beta has removed the media playback controls that appeared at the bottom of the app when navigating. The media controls were a swipe away at the bottom, and you could easily control playback from here. Users could also tap the Browse button for nine quick suggestions to switch to quickly. If you needed more options, there was a handy shortcut to quickly open the music app. If you needed more screen real estate, you could swipe down the controls to move them out of the way again. These handy media control shortcuts had to be enabled within Google Maps' Settings > Navigation > Show media playback controls. This feature worked with YouTube Music and Spotify, and you could also select your default media app. However, the new Google Maps update on both stable and beta channels has removed all of this. This feature was my default way to control music playback while navigating. While there are other external ways to control playback, having the control right on the navigation screen was super convenient as it minimized distractions and taps needed to simply change a song. Now, you have to swap out to your music player app or use the active media player notification in the notification panel to control playback, meaning you have to navigate away from the Maps screen and, worse, be distracted for a few more seconds while driving. It's not immediately clear if this removal is intentional or just a bug, but the feature remains present on Google Maps for iOS, for what it's worth. We've contacted Google to learn more about the removal of media playback controls from Google Maps. We'll keep you updated when we learn more. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
