9to5Google reports that Google Maps will now have a new screen coming in before you start your turn-by-turn navigation. In essence, it’s a permission screen that confirms you to allow your location data to be crowdsourced for the app to work. Choosing not to allow it will lock you out of turn-by-turn navigation. Instead, you’ll have to rely on the old-fashioned step-by-step directions.
On one hand, it is odd that Google is making this prompt on Maps appear now, when the app hasn’t changed in the way it works. But on the flip side, this can probably be explained with the company’s emphasised focus on privacy during this year’s I/O event when it announced Android 12. Ultimately, this wouldn’t change the way users use Google Maps. But if you weren’t aware of the way the app works before, this will help explain the process a little, and you can make the decision whether or not to crowdsource your data, as others have done for the app to work. Chances are, users are more interested in the estimated toll costs per trip that is said to be in the works. (Source: 9to5Google)
