This Is the Only Way to Get Around Google Maps’ Controversial New Color Scheme
People hate change. It doesn’t matter if the change is big or small: if it disrupts the status quo, it will be a problem for someone.
Google seems to have forgotten this basic rule: the company is currently rolling out a new color scheme for Google Maps , which they started testing back in August. If you haven’t seen it on your devices yet, you will soon, so be prepared for your trusty maps app to look different.
But not so different. The new colors aren’t radically different from the old ones, and Google hasn’t dramatically changed the appearance of the app. Instead, there are subtle hue adjustments: the water is now a lighter shade of blue, green areas are more turquoise than before, and roads appear gray rather than the same yellow. ( Many especially mourn the loss of yellow roads .)
It’s unclear what exactly prompted Google to make this adjustment, but now that it’s rolling out on a larger scale, it’s something we all have to live with. Except there is one way to use Google Maps in unaltered colors. But you may not like it.
Turn on Google Maps dark mode.
If you like using Google Maps in dark mode, you’ll love it even more now: It looks like Google hasn’t tweaked the color scheme for its maps in dark mode at all—at least not yet—which means dark mode fans won’t be doing it . pay attention to something else.
If you want to stick with the Google Maps dark mode color scheme, tap your profile icon, select Settings, and tap Dark Mode . To always stay in dark mode, tap On. . To switch to dark mode whenever your phone’s OS does so, tap Same as device settings .
Unfortunately, this trick only works for the Google Maps mobile app. If you’re browsing Google Maps on your computer, you’re stuck with the new colors.