Google Maps in Android Auto gets a useful update for right-hand drivers

Android Auto UI can now adapt for right-hand drivers

Android Auto
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

More news for Android Auto fans. Google is rolling out a new feature, which is useful for people with cars where the driver sits on the righthand side – that’s the bulk of cars found on British roads, with the odd exception. 

Following the update, the platform’s version of Google Maps is now optimized for right-hand drive vehicles, with the service moving turn information and the navigation bar closer to the driver for ease of viewing.

The majority of the world uses left-hand drive vehicles, so Google Maps in Android Auto has always placed key controls towards the left of the touchscreen, enabling left-hand drivers to easily see alerts.

The new update means drivers on the right-hand side will incur less of a struggle to see their screen, stopping the need to awkwardly stretch across their car's display to use the navigation bar. It's a fairly minor change, but considering Android Auto's purpose is to help navigate your journey and facilitate in-car entertainment controls, the update should keep drivers' eyes where they need to be – i.e. on the road.

A handy improvement 

To be clear: the user interface won't now suddenly favor right-hand drivers. The new setup will offer more optimal orientation for all drivers, including left and right-handed, according to Google's official support page

The new feature will roll out to Android Auto automatically, with users getting the chance to select the orientation of the Maps interface in a later update. There are also no restrictions on who gets access to the new feature, as it'll be available for all users worldwide using the latest version of Android Auto.

Luke Wilson

Luke is a former news writer at T3 who covered all things tech at T3. Disc golf enthusiast, keen jogger, and fond of all things outdoors (when not indoors messing around with gadgets), Luke wrote about a wide-array of subjects for T3.com, including Android Auto, WhatsApp, Sky, Virgin Media, Amazon Kindle, Windows 11, Chromebooks, iPhones and much more, too.