Google Maps gets a new color palette

In recent weeks, Google has unveiled a series of new Maps features, including Immersive View for routes, more comprehensive navigation, and transit filters. Google Maps is getting a new color scheme which is now available on Android (including Auto), iOS, and the web.

Parks and nature are a lighter shade of green, creating a beautiful contrast with roadways, which range from off-white to gray. (This allows Google to use white for street crossings, which are now visible at higher zoom settings.)

In terms of nature, the new color makes the dashed trail routes stand out less. Buildings and structures, depending on their prominence, are still gray or pale yellow.

For a great thematic coherence with roads, freeways are a considerably darker gray with some blue undertones. It's a dramatic change from the tan we're used to, yet it shows out less against water, where a lighter blue is used. Meanwhile, with less yellow being used, orange restaurant pins stand out considerably more. Overall, the modifications are visible and contribute to Google Maps' vibrant atmosphere.There are certainly parallels to be seen with Apple Maps.

Google stated that "updated colors throughout the map" would return in October, after testing began in August. This new palette has been available to some users for some weeks, but a wider deployment on Android and iOS is now beginning. If you don't have it yet, force-stopping or closing Google Maps while multitasking will allow the new colors to load. We haven't seen it yet on the internet.