Google Maps for Android Auto could soon offer new colors that won't burn your retinas

Google has been working on several new features and improvements for Android Auto. While we wait for the big Android Auto redesign announced at I/O 2026, the company is working on other, more subtle changes throughout the experience, including a new icon. However, Google is working on a lot more.

The latest beta update for the Android Auto app (v17.6.663424) includes several new features. We’ve already reported on the new weather animation and support for Quick Settings tiles. However, we also managed to enable a new UI for Google Maps in Android Auto.

Currently, the Google Maps surface has a light background, and the direction and turn indicator in the top right has a teal background. That’s normally okay, but it can be quite distracting on large, bright infotainment screens. Google is now testing a darker background for the map surface and a dark-gray color for the turn indicator in the top right.

The changes could also show up when using the map in dark mode. Google seems to be testing a much darker map surface in dark mode and is also working on making the turn indicator dark gray.

Currently, the turn indicator remains teal even in dark mode, and it does look a tad out of place. This could also improve visibility at night, especially since the current map color isn’t dark enough to be comfortable to look at while driving.

Though Google often runs A/B tests for UI elements and colors, this one is slightly more confusing. The map area inside Android Auto is usually rendered using the Google Maps app installed on the user’s connected phone. However, the darker color scheme isn’t showing up on our connected Android phone and appears to be limited to Android Auto.

We don’t know if this is an intentional change that Google is testing or a bug that crept into the latest Android Auto beta. We’ll keep an eye out for any changes to the map’s surface in future updates and will update you with any new information we come across.