People hate change. It doesn’t matter whether that change is big or small: If it messes with a status quo, it’s going to be a problem for someone.
It seems Google forgot that basic rule: The company is currently rolling out a new color scheme for Google Maps, which they started testing back in August. If you haven’t seen it on your devices yet, you soon will, so be prepared for your trusted maps app to look different.
But not that different. The new colors aren’t a radical departure from the old ones, nor has Google dramatically changed the overall look of the app. Instead, it’s a subtle adjustment in hue: The water is now a lighter shade of blue, the green areas are more turquoise than they were before, and roads appear gray, rather than their previous yellow. (There are many who mourn the loss of yellow roads in particular.)
It’s not clear what exactly prompted Google make this adjustment, but now that it’s rolling out on a wider scale, we all have to live with it. Except there is one way to experience Google Maps in colors that haven’t changed. But you might not like it.
Flip the switch on Google Maps dark mode
If you like using Google Maps in dark mode, you’ll like it even better now: It seems Google hasn’t adjusted the color scheme for its dark mode maps at all—at least not yet—which means dark mode fans won’t notice anything different.
If you want to stick to the Google Maps color scheme offered in dark mode, tap your profile icon, choose Settings, then hit Dark Mode. To always stay in dark mode, hit On. To switch to dark mode whenever your phone’s OS does, hit Same as device setting.
Unfortunately, this trick only works for the Google Maps mobile app. If you browse Google Maps on desktop, you’re stuck with the new colors.
