Homescreen widget and Dark Mode for Google Maps on iOS now available

With iOS 15 just around the corner, the guys at Google stopped twiddling their thumbs and introduced the finest features that iOS 13 and 14 had to offer. This Tuesday, the company has announced that Google Maps app will finally receive a dark mode as well as home screen widgets.

There is nothing special about the dark mode, but the lack of it was definitely a bummer, especially when you were using the app at night. Once you go to settings and activate the dark mode, the system will remember your choice and keep it for the rest of your devices.

The new widgets, however, are a real treat. The first 2-by-2 widget is called the Nearby Traffic, and just like you would expect, it shows you the traffic conditions around your location. It may be a bit too small, but it’s definitely handy. The second widget is 4-by-4 in size, and it allows searching for your favorite places and places that you regularly frequent. Adding these widgets is as simple as any others. All you have to do is make sure that you’ve installed the latest version of Google Maps.

The Dark theme and two new widgets aren’t the only things that will get introduced since Google will also expand how it is integrated with Messages. This will allow iPhone users to share their location by tapping on the Google Maps Messages. This information will be shared with their friends for a period of up to three days. The message will also contain a stop button which allows you to instantly turn it off.

We don’t have an accurate time when this update will be released. All is known is that it will be available in the next couple of weeks. The Messages app, however, is already available. So if you want to try it out, just tap on the App Store icon and scroll down until you find the Google Maps logo.

Are you tired of being blinded by the Google Maps app while using it at night? Are you excited to try out the new widgets? Share your comments below.