Google Maps, like many of Google’s other products and apps, periodically gets new features and the team working on the app often times will test out these features or small changes with a select group of people. These changes and/or new features may never hit the actual app that everyone else uses, but sometimes they do. So when we see these new changes appearing in Google Maps, we always need to take it with a grain of salt, as they may never be seen again. Having said that, it appears that Google is testing a few changes here in Google Maps right now, that a few users are seeing. One is the new location indicator on Google Maps.
In Google Maps, there is a blue circle with an arrow to point in the direction you are heading in. This helps people see where they are on the map as well as what direction they are going in. Especially helpful for those in an unfamiliar area or city. It looks like Google is changing that up just a bit. Instead of that arrow now, it appears that there is a type of gradient being shown. It’s a very small aesthetic change, and many people likely won’t even notice it being a change on Google Maps, but it is being tested right now.
The other change being tested right now really only affects those that are Local Guides for Google Maps. Those that send in edits and such, to Google Maps so that they have the most current information on businesses and such. There now appears to be a tab in the app that will show the users edits and whether they have been approved or not. Likely not something that people will be using everyday, but definitely something that Local Guides will definitely like having accessible in the app. This change here was actually spotted in a teardown of the latest update for Google Maps. So it’s likely that this may actually make its way into the stable app, or at least be available to everyone, in the very near future.
