Google Maps showing full screen ads, using landmarks during navigation

It’s been a few years since Google dropped its “Don’t be evil” motto, and replaced it with “Do the right thing.” But the ground reality hasn’t changed much – the company still occasionally does things that one can safely say are neither good, nor right.

Enough rant, let’s come to the case in point: Google Maps users are complaining that full screen ads pop up while the app is being used for navigation.

Given the ads (at-least in the case above) are about Google products/software, it’s safe to assume these are from Google itself. Needless to say, the move is not only annoying but a safety hazard as well.

https://twitter.com/MirameCosmetics/status/962655710919168000

The roll out seems to be happening for some time – as we could also locate a tweet from December 2017 – but is definitely slow, as we couldn’t find much reports online.

Officially, the company hasn’t said anything on this so far. Let us know if you are also seeing such ads.

Moving on, a new Google Maps feature is also being rolled out (or tested) in the US. Several users confirm the app is now using landmark-based navigation, as opposed to the distance-based technique that was being used until now.

Basically, the app – for example – now says something like “turn left after [landmark-name],” instead of “turn left after [distance].”

Going by the ongoing discussion on these tweets, it seems while some users are liking this new change, others are skeptical about the feature, saying it could well be a move solely aimed at making money (rather than user convenience).

https://twitter.com/nimo_ni/status/964326657392652289

That’s imaginative, but could be real one day – who knows, it’s Google.

Stay connected with us on Twitter (@PiunikaWeb) to hear about all related developments as and when they occur