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Google Maps Tests New Pop-up Ads That Give Users an Unnecessary Detour (androidauthority.com) 81

Posted by msmash from the no-mercy dept.
An anonymous reader writes: Google Maps is testing a new ad format that could cause distractions while driving. It brings up a pop-up notification during navigation that covers the bottom half of the screen with an unnecessary detour suggestion.

Anthony Higman on X (formerly Twitter) recently spotted the new ad format during their commute. According to Higman, the ad popped up while passing a Royal Farms gas station, even though they did not search for a gas station or convenience store while setting their destination. The ad has a Sponsored tag at the top of the card, followed by the name of the location, its review rating, and the estimated arrival time. It also includes two buttons to add it as a stop or cancel the suggestion.
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Google Maps Tests New Pop-up Ads That Give Users an Unnecessary Detour More

Google Maps Tests New Pop-up Ads That Give Users an Unnecessary Detour

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  • pop up adds for nav? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Turkinolith ( 7180598 ) on Monday July 08, 2024 @03:52PM (#64610843)
    I can't wait till this results in some "distracted driving causing an accident" lawsuits.
    • Comment removed based on user account deletion

      • If you want navigation, consider paying for Tomtom or Garmin, they're actually still in the business and don't rely on monetizing your data to make money.

        My Garmin is nice - for rides out in the country. True, no popups - but it has so many promoted markers that in town I appear to be driving through a swampy sea of ATMs and fast food restaurants.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by AvitarX ( 172628 )

        I have no agreement with the company that is paying to cover half of my screen with a pop-up that it seems like will take me where I don't want to go if I don't actively interact with it.

        That seems like a decent target.

      • The sad thing is the "if it's free, you're the product" is generally true but these days even if you pay for it, you're still the product. See all the telemetry data that the auto manufacturers collect and resell after you've bought the car.
      • Or get f-droid then download osmand. Yes, it's on the playstore but f-droid offers you the full version for free.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by ncc74656 ( 45571 ) *

          Or get f-droid then download osmand.

          I want to like it (I'm currently running /e/ on a OnePlus 7 Pro, if that tells you anything), but it's always failed horribly whenever I've asked it to plot a course to pretty much anywhere. I don't know what it's doing for geocoding, but at least around Las Vegas, most addresses I've thrown at it don't get you anywhere near the requested destination.

          /e/ ships with Magic Earth, which mostly works well. Lately I've been using Here WeGo, and I've had no complaints about

      • If you want navigation, consider paying for Tomtom or Garmin, they're actually still in the business and don't rely on monetizing your data to make money.

        I have always been a proponent of dedicated single use devices that do one job, but do that job very well, I used a TomTom GPS well into its twilight years despite the criticism I received from friends and family about using outdated technology, now I've been evangelised.

        The TomTom only ever serve to aid my navigational needs and was never a distraction like Google Maps will become, the view port never changed randomly, and the theme never changed, and it never did random shit like go into a random orientat

        • I still have a TomTom in the draw where it has been for 15 years - a map update cost more than a new device!

          I drew the line.

          I have kept it to remind the family never to buy from this company again!

          • That's funny, I remember the TomTom winning out over the Garmin because the map updates were free, perhaps for a period of time, or my memory is incorrect.

            I would look at it from this perspective, even as far back as 2004 when my device was made, GPS technology was still bleeding edge, or it had just hit that point where it became ubiquitous among consumers, and I used that device as far up until 2019, when it no longer had cellular service.

            In perspective Google Maps has always been a free service, or that'

          • You might want to check out OpenStreetMap. It's a free, open geographical database including tons of maps, and TomTom has joined with them. You might now have access to free maps.

            There's a sort of "A+ level" that costs a few Euro and gives you access to maps that are updated more frequently, but I've been satisfied with the regular ones for Canada and the US.

        • I've been using an old Garmin for more than a decade. It has lifetime map updates, and they've faithfully kept up with them. I just got an old but virtually unused Garmin for my girlfriend. It didn't come with updates, so I've installed a map from OpenStreetMaps on it with outstanding results. These maps are made and regularly updated by a really excellent community. As far as I've seen, their only agenda is to give you a better map for free, whether you're driving, hiking, biking or whatever.

    • This.

      There's already a lot of cognitive load associated with dealing with unexpected events (for example, a sudden closure of the transition road you needed to get to a different freeway). On top of that, your phone will start bitching and rerouting you as you pass it, along with all the other poor bastards who were also planning on taking the now closed transition road.

      Now add a non-trivial percentage of them getting a nonsense ad either blocking the reroute notice or telling them to do something that doe

    • Deserve what you get (Score:2, Informative)

      by Excelcia ( 906188 )

      People who uses Google Maps to drive by instead of, say, something like Osmand [f-droid.org] deserve what they get. Well, the first thing you get is navigation that is beholden to having access to data. Which is generally pretty ubiquitous, until you stop to think that the times you're least likely to have data are the times you're most likely to need help getting where you're going. The other thing you get when you use Google Maps is, as the name unfortunately suggest... Google. Nuff said.

      • Many cars have Android Auto built into the system. Knowing that the maps are updated more frequently than other Nav systems, it makes perfect sense to use it. Plus it's right there on your phone, integrated into things like Contacts. (Ok, Google, navigate to Geoff's house)

        Nobody deserves to die because they choose the sensical option!

      • Long time osmand user here. Hey, osmand is cool for offline navigation, but its router has always been either mediocre or non-functional.

        Google Maps have a nice router, but the route agreed before departing should not change mid-route. When driving, we really should not have to fiddle with the phone. This is a stupid idea.

    • Where the defense would be "why were you looking at your phone while driving? As the operator of the motor vehicle, it is your responsibility to operate the vehicle in a safe manner, which includes not staring at your phone screen while hurtling down the highway. In fact, you even agreed to that when you first opened Maps after buying the phone, or else you wouldn't be able to use the maps app."

      Judge: "Case dismissed."

      Whatever happened to personal accountability? Don't look at your fucking phone screen w

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Calydor ( 739835 )

        Am I misunderstanding how people use their phones for navigation? I still use a standalone GPS unit, which is mounted on my dashboard and functions essentially like a minimap in a video game, allowing me to glance over to see if I'm approaching the road I need to turn onto or not. If a popup suddenly obscured half that screen so I couldn't see, oh, where I am for example, I would have to remove that popup to actually make use of the navigation system.

        Why is Google adding distractions to things that people a

        • Decreasing usability of software in order to display ads is the entire game of getting people to pay for subscriptions to get rid of the ads. At this point, none of us should be surprised by enshittification. But that doesn't mean that you aren't still responsible for operating your vehicle in a safe manner because an app publisher made the conscious decision to make their app worse - it's a reason to find a different navigation app that doesn't do that.

          Also, turn-by-turn voice nav isn't reading the ad to

        • There is no Google product so bad that they won't intentionally make it worse to suit their own needs. Ditto for Microsoft.

      • Navigation systems are intended to be looked at while driving by design.

        But the legal system doesn't work like that anyway. Most states are either comparative negligence or modified comparative negligence states, where parties are liable for their percentage of fault. With the "modified" version preventing plaintifs more than 51% at fault from recovering any damages. But 3rd parties will always be able to recover from all other parties based on their fault percentage.

    • Or Google being prosecuted for instigating the crime of interacting with the phone while driving. It's illegal to even touch your phone while driving in some countries.

  • The enshitification had to happen (Score:3)

    by m00sh ( 2538182 ) on Monday July 08, 2024 @03:58PM (#64610869)

    It had to happen. There was no way Google would let you use maps for free.

    As an alphabet investor, I'm happy about the huge monetization potential.

    As a user, I dread it. I could not stand the waze pop up ads everytime you stopped.

    • If it's done the way Waze does it, where they suggest you stop for something or other and if you click/touch the add it'll detour you, then it's fine. If they just insert the detour past KFC and say "Now you are at KFC. Aren't you hungry for some chicken? No? What do you mean no? Pausing 5 minutes while we let you think about it before continuing." then I'm definitely going to never use Google Maps again. Ever.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by m00sh ( 2538182 )

        I think something like this has already happened.

        I noticed that they highlighted a pizza chain place along my route. I've never been there and I didn't know why it was highlighted.

        Then, the other day my route was changed so I would drive along the road where the pizza place is. Every time before it would suggest the faster road 1 mile down.

      • You know google owns Waze, right?
        I use Waze, but I fear it will get destroyed by Google.
        • Comment removed based on user account deletion

          • Waze has already been destroyed by Google from my perspective.

            I used Waze for a while before and after Google bought them (I have a LOT of points having driven across the U.S. twice while using it), I still think they have the best hazard/police reporting system, but I just fell out of the habit of using them as over time it just seemed that much less usable.

            At least as small consolation Apple Maps is almost at the point where it's kind of usable to get hazard or speed trap reports. If they would just let m

    • It did not have to happen. Google is making plenty of money off maps. It wants to make more money. Its stock price depends on growth, and this is the manifestation of how desperate they are. They can't come up with new businesses, so they squeeze existing users. Yes, it's enshittifcation.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      Google has confirmed that there are no advertising pop-ups in Maps. They only appear if you tap on something on the map. 9to5google confirmed that behaviour, so the person making this claim must either have accidentally touched the screen, or have experienced an unreproducable glitch.

      Google has been quite conservative when it comes to distractions while driving. Apps that can interact with Android Auto and Maps in driving mode are limited and heavily restricted. Maps itself does sometimes pop up when naviga

    • It had to happen. There was no way Google would let you use maps for free.

      It didn't have to happen, and I don't believe that it did.

      As an alphabet investor, I'm happy about the huge monetization potential.

      As an Alphabet investor, I would be appalled at the liability risk, the damage to the brand and the stupid decision to open the door to competitors... if I believed this was real, but I don't.

    • I saw this coming a few years ago when they started putting ads in maps, "certain" restaurants visible at absurd zoomed out levels etc. I dumped them for apple maps then and I'm 95% of the way from getting google out of my life (putting my voice number on business cards was a mixed blessing).
    • Waiting for the Google version of clippy to pop up with
      "Look's like you've been pulled over by the police! Would you like me to connect you to the Law Offices of and ?"

  • mapquest or autoroute still exist?

  • Waze has been showing nearby c-stores, fast food joints, and the like while you're stopped at a red light -- along with a button to "go there now" -- for many years. If anything, Google is stealing this concept from itself (being that they've owned Waze for a long time now).
  • If this occurs when connected through Android Auto then it should be instantly illegal in all states where distracted driving is illegal.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by zeiche ( 81782 )

      i am opposed to the enshitification of maps, but i can’t help but wonder how this would be against the law when re-routing due of traffic congestion would not?

      • It shows an interactive pop-up on the nav screen that blocks half the map. The driver's instinct will be to figure out how to tap it away.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Calydor ( 739835 )

        Simply rerouting for efficiency without user confirmation that they want to be rerouted is one thing. Obscuring half the screen so you can no longer see your route until you remove the obscuring ad is another entirely.

        The joke has been for a very long time that we'd start getting ads displayed on the windshield which would inevitably lead to accidents. This is only a single step removed.

  • First off - fully integrate all of Waze's features into google maps. I like both apps, but I rely on Waze for long distance trips solely for the social notification aspects. Just merge that into google maps and I'd fully convert over.

    And between the two apps - I just want to search for food/gas/a park to stretch my legs with my voice while I'm driving on the planned route and add it as a pit stop. If I'm 3 hours into my drive and want dinner, I should be able to hit the microphone and say Hey Google - F

    • I like both apps, but I rely on Waze for long distance trips...

      That's funny, because Waze is supposed to be geared towards commuters while Google Maps is supposed to be geared towards long trips. In fact, at one time Waze would refuse to even calculate a route longer than so many miles.

      • Comment removed based on user account deletion
        • No disagreements from me, I tend to use Waze for long-distance as well. I just thought it was funny, as a former map editor for Waze, that someone was using it exactly the opposite way it was intended.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by dfm3 ( 830843 )
            Another map editor here (country manager). At one time there was indeed a limitation on routes above 500 miles, they finally capitulated and added the ability to do longer routes since so many people requested it for so many years. I think being a company from a country that's less than 500 miles from end to end, they didn't really see the need for it at first...

  • But I think I will stick to my old-school Garmin GPS that operates only in offline mode, thank you very much.

    It does have a weird little FM receiver that can pick up real-time traffic updates [wikipedia.org] using a unidirectional non-Internet protocol.

    • That's awesome! How well does this work in the US?

    • No you don't get "real-time" traffic updates. You get announced traffic updates. There's a big difference. While apps like Waze or Google Maps will show actual realtime traffic calculated based on current known movement speed, your Garmin will only know of officially reported traffic jams or accidents. It's a tiny fraction of what constitutes a delay for any given trip.

      You can check this yourself by the way. Navigate a trip with Google Maps, set the time to leave at 1am so there's no traffic influence, and

      • > You get announced traffic updates

        Yep, my car satnav does this and it's plain weird. I drive past exclamation marks that indicate a "gas main works" yet I see no gas main workings :D

        But it’s a non-issue as I only use the car satnav for local routes and national routes use a real satnav backed up by a real map. My Tomtom gets real time traffic updates via the phone wifi or bluetooth, alerting me to diversions that can save me X amount of time should I take them.

        I once switched off the Tomtom as I

    • Yeah, my Garmin is from 2009 I think and still works just fine. No online bullshit to deal with. The battery is toast but I always left if plugged into my cigarette lighter and never used it as a portable device anyway. Maybe I'll take the time to see if I can replace the battery or just remove it completely.

      • I do the same with the Tomtom, have it plugged in all the time vs using the battery.

        Changing the battery on a satnav will be much easier than on a mobile these days.

    • My Tomtom simply connects to my phone via wifi (can use bluetooth as well) to pick up traffic updates.

      The main advantages to having a dedicated satnav is:

      - LARGE screen. You can actually see it without having to have it up to your nose. Ok, thats an exaggeration but unless you use a tablet or a samsung note and are happy to have the BIG phone expreience the a standard phone screen is just too small.

      - MATTE screen. The satnav has a matte screen, unlike the shiny screen of a smartphone. Trus me this makes

  • thanks for the info (Score:5, Funny)

    by FudRucker ( 866063 ) on Monday July 08, 2024 @04:52PM (#64611019)
    i just uninstalled updates cleared the cache & user data and disabled google maps, i refuse to allow ANYONE turn my phone into a platform for advertising, this is my phone it doesn't belong to google rhey have no right to do this to people, i hope a class action suit rips google a new one

  • Waze? (Score:2)

    by OneFix ( 18661 )

    Waze already does this. It activates when you're stopped, it goes away if you're in motion. I've also not seen it when you are stopped at a turn on your route. Only at straight-thru stops.

    Not that this is a good thing anyhow, but it's the price you pay for a free service.

    That having been said, Osmand and Sygic are paid and don't have ads.

  • This isn't the first time or even the 100th time Google has made a very terrible design flaw with their software. It's amazing how inertia allows these huge companies to just continually make poor decisions yet suffer no ill effects from them.

    • Constant, unhealthy need for growth. They're never satisfied, always want more. Once they build a solid product that actually helps people they start forcefully innovating and tearing the product apart, milking it for money for as long as they can before the product collapses under the weight of all the BS thrown at it.

  • Driving mode will put me in DND, as if getting notified that my prescription is ready is a huge distraction. But ads, oh, hey, those are just fine, then they ones that cover my route and make me dismiss them.

    Yeah, pus.

  • But, I'm sure if Adguard doesn't block it now, you can bet it will.
  • If I ever see this I will never use Google Maps again.
  • When YouTube Vanced / ReVanced came out, I was surprised there wasn't a version for Maps. I guess the existing ads (square pins, gigantic photo pins, random marketing copy under square pins, LATEST IN $THISCITY, EXPLORE!!!! OMG USE THIS SHITTY SCOOTER SERVICE, etc) weren't obtrusive enough to warrant a mod. Hopefully this nav garbage will be enough to push people over the edge, and then you can bet ALL that garbage will be gone.
  • Someone had an unexpected interaction with an existing feature and panicked, that's all. https://www.androidpolice.com/... [androidpolice.com]

  • Story already debunked (Score:3, Informative)

    by Puc Rotte ( 10386027 ) on Tuesday July 09, 2024 @12:24AM (#64611677)

    Google has confirmed to 9to5Google that it is not bringing pop-up ads to Maps:

    Rather, this UI is actually “Promoted Pins,” which have existed for some time. Google says that this UI does not pop up on its own – despite the user claiming they did not tap the screen, we were able to replicate the exact same UI by tapping on a location on the map, so it seems the screen was either touched by accident or a glitch was at play – and that it disappears automatically after a few seconds.

  • Thats why I use a standalone satnav.

    That and the piddly tiny phone screen is just too small when compares to a basic model Tomtom.

  • guess i'll stick to my iphone
  • First there were ads in search Then there as Gemini brain washing. Now there is hacking your physical life.

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