Google Maps May Soon Get Power-Saving Mode to Extend Battery Life on Long Drives
Google Maps may soon receive a feature that could significantly save your phone's battery during navigation. Maps drains battery quickly due to GPS and active screens, but this new feature will help conserve battery. Reports suggest it's currently in testing and could provide one to two hours of battery life during long drives. However, it's not yet known whether it will be released in the public version.
Navigation on Google Maps tends to kill your smartphone's battery because it uses continuous GPS and keeps the screen on. Soon, Google might add a new feature to Maps to try and help users conserve battery. According to a recent APK teardown of the Android smartphone app, a feature is in the works to decrease power consumption; this could give one to two hours of extra battery life on long drives. It is not yet clear whether Google will bring it into the public version.
Android Authority has discovered a new 'Power saving mode' in an APK teardown of the Google Maps app for Android that is currently under development. Version 25.44.03.824313610, a beta release, contains this feature. Strings found in the code indicate that this mode will reduce the amount of information displayed on the screen and only show essential navigation details, such as next turns, to save battery.
According to the report, this feature can be activated by pressing the power button while driving. Users will also be able to activate it in the Google Maps app. Screenshots in the report show that the UI becomes monochrome and displays only essential information, removing color. A lot of text, such as street names, is removed from the app, leaving only essential navigation elements.
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This power-saving mode in Google Maps will be especially useful for long trips, where battery conservation is crucial. However, it is not yet clear whether Google will release it in the stable public version. Google Maps has received several updates this year. In August, the company improved real-time assistance by adding Gemini Live to Maps.
In March, Google introduced AI-powered features to improve travel planning. Search, Maps, and Lens were upgraded with AI Overviews and personalized trip suggestions.
