It would be nice, however, if you could see things like traffic updates and nearby gas stations without entering a destination. Now, you can. In the latest update to Google Maps, Android Police has discovered a hidden Driving mode. You can enter this mode whether you have a destination in mind or not.
Save a Route to Your Android HomescreenThe first, and probably the simplest, way to save a route you travel regularly on Google Maps is to save it to your Android homescreen. To do this, go to the Google Maps app and set the route you want to save by entering the destination into the box and tapping 'Directions'.
Add a shortcut to get directions
- On your Android phone or tablet, go to the widget section.
- Find the "Google Directions" widget .
- Touch and hold the widget and drop it on your Home screen.
- At the top, choose a type of transport, like walking or driving.
- Enter a destination and shortcut name.
It's very simple: just tap the compass icon in the corner! This should switch you to the first-person navigation view that, in most cases, is much easier to use (especially while you're driving). If you prefer the map view in any scenario, you can just tap the compass icon again to go back.
Thankfully, this feature is just a few steps away in the Settings of your
Android device.
How to turn it on?
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap on “Google”
- Find Search, Assistant & Voice.
- Tap and open Voice.
- Then Voice Match setting.
- Turn on both of the first two toggles: “Access with Voice Match” and “Unlock with Voice Match”
To do this, press and hold the wallpaper of the Android desktop until you see some options, in which you must choose the Widgets option. You will have to go down to where the Maps are and there select driving mode and you will have the option to place it in the place you want on your Smartphone's desktop.
Android Auto brings the most useful apps to your phone screen or your compatible car display in a format that makes it easy for you to keep your main focus on driving. You can control features like navigation and maps, calls and text messages, and music.
Driving Mode is a feature that utilizes both Google Maps and Google Assistant. It's only available for Android 9+ devices and requires the device to be in portrait orientation. Of course, you'll need both the Google Maps and Assistant apps installed on your Android phone or tablet.
The purpose of Driving Mode is to keep you focused on driving by either automatically launching a car-friendly app (Android Auto) or preventing distractions (Do Not Disturb mode) when you're in a moving vehicle. Once the feature goes live, you'll see a new option in Connection preferences in Android Pie.
Permanently disable driving mode on stock Android.Open Settings. , then search for "driving" or "do not disturb". Select the setting which pertains to driving mode automatically activating while in a car. Turn off the setting.
Phones without Google Assistant
- Go to your Home screen or open the Google app .
- In the search bar, tap Speak .
- Say a command or ask a question.
Your one Google Assistant extends to help you across devices, like Google Home, your phone, and more. You can access it with long press home on Android, Ok Google, or a squeeze on Pixel phones.
Google Maps Go is pre-installed on Android Oreo (Go edition) devices. Google Maps Go is separate from the Google Maps app. It's designed to run quickly and smoothly on devices with limited memory.
Talk to your Google Assistant
- On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Maps app. .
- Navigate to a place, or say, "Ok Google, navigate home".
- In navigation mode, say “Ok Google” or tap the Assistant microphone .
- Ask the Google Assistant to help with something.
Zoom contains a Safe Driving Mode for increased safety by swiping across your screen to the right. This disables video and your microphone.. Jamesway does not recommend the use of Zoom while driving and would prefer all employees reach a safe location before holding a meeting.
You'll typically find it near the top of the App Drawer. Tap the My device tab. You should see this option toward the top of the screen. Scroll down and tap Driving mode.
The Driving Mode dashboard features personalized suggestions for navigation, messages, calling and media. Driving mode, coming this summer on Android, will automatically launch when you connect your phone to your car's Bluetooth. If you're not connected to your car, you can just say, “Hey Google, let's drive.”
Wi-Fi signals are electromagnetic waves, and the signals coming from, say, a Starbucks emanate from a router that's not moving. If you're in a moving car, your phone's Wi-Fi chip could detect the frequency change of the radio waves coming from the router.
We recommend the best free apps to make driving easier and cheaper
- Waze iOS | Android.
- Navmii GPS iOS | Android.
- Speed Camera and Traffic iOS | Android.
For AndroidIf you want to quickly enable Do Not Disturb mode, simply swipe down from the top of your screen to open the notification shade and select the Do Not Disturb icon. To make changes to your settings, you'll need to long tap on the Do Not Disturb icon to go into the Settings menu.
Android: For Android phones, there is a free app, Driving Detective. The app uses motion, your Bluetooth connection and background noise (like engine noise) determine that you are driving and turns on Do Not Disturb mode. You can also use the app to set up calendar or time-based rules.
How to set up a driving rule for Pixel 2
- Open your phone's Settings app.
- Press Sound, then select Do Not Disturb.
- Press Turn on automatically.
- Press Add rule, then select Driving.
- At the top of your screen, make sure that your rule is turned on.
- To delete a rule, all you have to do is tap Delete.
The Verizon version of the Samsung Galaxy S7 has a setting called “Driving Mode”. This feature will automatically reply to text messages by saying “I'm driving right now – I'll get back to you later.” The feature is meant as a feature to use so that you aren't distracted by looking at your phone while driving.
