Katarzyna Petru
Google is quietly testing a new feature in Maps that could solve one of the most annoying situations during travel. Live Updates are meant to pin navigation on the screen, so that route information doesn't disappear or get hidden among other notifications.
How does it work?
Instead of short-lived notifications that often drop to the bottom of the list or disappear after a moment, Live Updates keep the tips in a fixed position. This way, you can check the remaining travel time or route at a glance – even if you switch to another application. This is especially useful for drivers who use multiple phone functions while driving.
Who can see this already?
The first mentions appeared a few days ago on X, and later additional reports began to flow in from users of Pixel and Samsung smartphones running Android 16 QPR2 beta. Importantly, this is not solely a Canary version test – Google is gradually expanding access to the new option.
Not yet for everyone
For now, Live Updates is only functioning for a handful of users, which suggests very limited testing. Full deployment may take some time, but if the option rolls out to all devices, it will be one of the more practical additions to Google Maps in years.
