These 8 updates would transform Google Maps into an incredible road trip companion

Many believe in the idea that you should critique what you love. If that’s true, then I must have a strong affection for Google Maps. I use this navigation app on Android and Android Auto almost daily, and each day I’m reminded of its missing features. This is particularly evident when I’m on a longer drive.

Google Maps isn’t the ideal road trip companion for all intents and purposes. Sure, it gets you from A to B (eventually), estimates travel time, and provides turn-by-turn directions, but that’s the bare minimum I’d expect from any long-distance navigation tool. It offers the basics and stops there. With a few tweaks and additions, Maps could become a more effective planning, navigating, and discovery tool for road adventurers.

A distance calculator

I love spontaneous road trips, but I also enjoy planning. I’m the type who likes to prepare for various scenarios or at least have a backup plan. I do this by studying routes in advance, noting distances between towns or attractions, fuel stops, farm stalls, grocery stores, restaurants, and other key points of interest. Currently, it’s far too cumbersome to calculate theoretical travel distances on Google Maps. A simple solution would be to introduce a radius tool. This would allow me to easily gauge travel times and distances from a central position by highlighting the area within the given travel parameters.

Considering travel speed and usual traffic, a radius tool would be handy if my partner and I want to stay overnight in a town no more than three hours or 150 km away, for instance. It would help plan day trips or view attractions within 30 minutes of our lodging. Currently, I have to zoom out and tap each nearby point of interest to check distances and travel times from my original position, but a radius tool would streamline this process.

Maps could even include a “distance in X hours” feature that appears during a navigation session, which calculates and displays the likely position of the vehicle within a given time based on the average speed and route. This would allow more precise on-road planning.

I’ve recently discussed My Maps in a separate feature, but this custom maps creator is underutilized in Google Maps. Its potential as a road trip planning tool is immense, yet much of its functionality is limited to web browsers. While you can open custom maps in Google Maps, that’s about it.

More control over custom maps within Google Maps could enable users to chart attractions and plan routes effectively. A custom map repository would allow users to download maps and seamlessly explore a new town based on other users’ recommendations. Google has a unique chance to further leverage community ingenuity and experience, and I hope it firmly considers reinventing its custom maps system.

Better list management

Reintegrating My Maps into Google Maps is a long-term project, but an immediate update could improve the Lists feature. While lists are accessible in the Google Maps app, their implementation in Android Auto is clunky. This feature could be invaluable while driving, offering quick access to saved places. However, relying on it is frustrating, especially when Google Assistant and Android Auto don’t cooperate.

I’ve had to rely on lists while driving because Assistant didn’t recognize “home,” even though it’s a saved location. There’s also no way to reorder lists so relevant locations appear first in the Maps UI on Android Auto. I’d appreciate options to archive lists or hide those I don’t need from Android Auto.

Google Maps’ navigation mostly works well, but it could be more accommodating for long-distance road travel, which typically stops and starts multiple times a journey. I’d like the option to pause navigation and route tracking. Too often, I’ve had to stop navigation when pulling into a rest stop or gas station, which means re-entering my destination and restarting navigation. It’s a minor annoyance, but this option would make longer journeys smoother.

Thinking big picture momentarily, using Google’s AI capabilities, I’d also welcome more routing options. We have “avoid tolls” and similar options, but imagine opting for a “scenic” route option for leisurely drives, a “direct” route for rush trips, or a “custom” route selector that leaves room for user preferences like distance/time, stops, road type, and more. It would be helpful for those criss-crossing a new region in a car.

Context-aware recommendations

Building on this, I wish Google Maps would better understand my travel intentions. I’ve previously suggested integrating Wear OS and fitness tracking with Android Auto to monitor fatigue and suggest stops, but Maps could easily highlight rest stops using reviews and context clues. Whether it’s a tourist spot, refueling point, or unique cuisine location, Maps could notify me and offer me the choice to stop, similar to how it alerts me to police or traffic incidents.

I’d like to mention My Maps once more. Such a suggestion feature could leverage a premade list or points on a custom map. Before setting off, Maps could let me preselect stops along a route or draw from a custom map. Nearing each stop, I’d get a pop-up asking if I’d like to proceed with the stop, keeping my primary route intact but offering flexibility.

Some towns near me connect to major routes via gravel roads. It’s part of their charm, but I like to know the condition of the road in advance. Wet winters can make some routes impassable. I rely on OsmAnd, another mapping app using OpenStreetMap data for road surface and condition information. However, Google Maps could integrate similar data.

It already offers various layers, including satellite imagery and transport routes; road surface info would fit well. It could also visually indicate road surface differences, providing motorists with valuable data and peace of mind.

Going a step further, Google could crowdsource road condition data from users using its current alert pop-up system, or suggest that drivers “review” a particular route once a journey has ended.

Weather alerts and overlay

Few navigation apps offer real-time weather information, but Google Maps could innovate here. Winter road trips are my favorite, but they can be treacherous. Rain and wind are common in my area, and it’s important to be prepared, as conditions can change quickly. I’d love an overlay displaying real-time weather along a route.

Additionally, Google Maps could benefit from a simple weather alert system that updates drivers before and during trips if conditions change. This data could be worked into the navigation UI, allowing drivers to gauge forthcoming conditions quickly.

Finally, while I know that Gemini is coming to Android Auto, I’m not convinced by Google’s in-car voice assistant. Gemini often struggles with latency on my smartwatch and smartphone, and Assistant frequently mishears or misunderstands me in my car. Whatever the future for Google’s in-car voice controls, I want a quick, reliable system that incorporates the abovementioned features.

This isn’t an exhaustive list, but it’s a glimpse of features and tweaks that could make Google Maps a true road trip champion. Do you have any thoughts? What would you like Google to introduce or change? Let me know in the comments below.