Your Quick Overview
- Google Maps is set to display your travel time back home right on the main screen.
- The feature shows ETA on the Home button using easy-to-read color codes.
- You won’t need to open navigation to check your travel duration anymore.
In yet another update, Google has revealed plans to enhance Google Maps by adding a feature that quickly shows how long it’ll take to get home, while you’re out running errands or heading back from work. This new functionality is expected to make life a little easier for users.
Right now, to know how many minutes are left until you reach home from wherever you are, you need to hit the “Home” button below the search bar and check the travel time. You only see the ETA once you tap it and potentially kick things off with navigation. But it looks like that’s all about to change.
Thanks to a tip from user winner00 on Discord (via Android Authority), we saw that Google Maps will begin to showcase your ETA to home directly on the Home button! This means no more need to drill down into the app to figure out how long it’ll take to get home.
The ETA will feature color-coded indications—green, yellow, or red—much like how these estimates currently appear in Google Maps. This clever addition makes it super simple to gauge your travel times at a glance.
Your Homeward Journey Just Became Simpler
This adjustment might seem minor, but it can significantly reduce those extra clicks when you’re keen to know your ETA for getting home, especially when you’re pressed for time. It’ll also help in planning your route quicker, so whether you’re wrapping up at work or running errands, it’s about to get easier.
On another note, Google is integrating Gemini AI into Maps too, which replaces certain Google Assistant functions. This means it can now handle sophisticated voice commands for changes in your route, like steering clear of toll roads, and even provide contextual info about weather conditions or hotspots nearby.
For now, just one person has spotted this new home time chip, but Google is looking to expand this feature to a broader audience soon. Stay tuned, as your navigation experience is about to improve!
