Katarzyna Petru
Google is quietly testing a new feature in Maps that could solve one of the most frustrating situations while traveling. Live Updates are supposed 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 fall to the bottom of the list or disappear after a moment, Live Updates keep the hints in a fixed place. 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 are using several phone features while driving.
Who sees this already?
The first mentions appeared a few days ago on X, and then more reports started coming in from users of Pixel and Samsung smartphones with Android 16 QPR2 beta. Importantly, this is not just a test in the Canary version – Google is slowly expanding access to the new option.
Not yet for everyone
For now, Live Updates is only working for a handful of people, indicating 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.
