![\"google](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/google-maps-showing-a-route-on-a-smartphone-screen-scaled.jpg\"\/ "\\"google")
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Megan Ellis \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n
It\u2019s safe to say that Google Maps<\/a> is among the most comprehensive navigation apps available on consumer platforms. This is why you\u2019ll often see Apple CarPlay users opt for Google\u2019s app instead of the native option. While it might be held in high regard, I\u2019ve long believed it could and should be even better.<\/p>\n I\u2019m not demanding a complete overhaul; the foundation of Maps is solid. Instead, a few small but meaningful additions could make it more user-friendly and versatile in more situations.<\/p>\n Do you want more control over route options in Google Maps?<\/p>\n 9 votes<\/p>\n Yes, I want total control over my routing requirements.<\/p>\n 67%<\/p>\n Yes, but only if it doesn’t complicate the app or experience.<\/p>\n 22%<\/p>\n No, Google Maps does a good job as is.<\/p>\n 11%<\/p>\n No, I just want Google Maps to improve its current routing reliability.<\/p>\n 0%<\/p>\n No. I use another app if I want specific route information.<\/p>\n 0%<\/p>\n My views are more complicated (elaborate in the comments).<\/p>\n 0%<\/p>\n One great such example is the route options feature. Many loyal Google Maps users, especially those using the app through Android Auto<\/a>, rely on it daily to customize Google\u2019s routing suggestions that best suit their .<\/p>\n Currently, Google offers only a few of these options to avoid tolls, highways, and ferries, or to select the most fuel-efficient route. It\u2019s very useful for some, but it has untapped potential that would broaden its appeal to many more.<\/p>\n Like many other features in Google Maps, route options are underdeveloped.<\/p>\n Like many other features in Google Maps, route options are underdeveloped. The current items cover only a small portion of the possible route attributes. There are so many other scenarios that would aid a broader set of drivers.<\/p>\n Fortunately, like many of Google Maps\u2019 annoyances, the solution is simple: Google should give road users more options and, therefore, more control over their travel plans.<\/p>\n The fastest route isn\u2019t always the best route<\/p>\n Andy Walker \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n If you can\u2019t quite envision why I feel more route options would be a good thing, consider the possible examples below:<\/p>\n Avoid unpaved roads: There are plenty of gravel roads in my region, and many are marked on Google Maps as main routes. This gives the impression that they are paved, until I switch to OsmAnd and find that they\u2019re corrugated, rutted, and covered with loose gravel. Checking this route option would allow drivers to avoid these unpaved routes and prevent damage to their sedans and family vehicles. This is just a surface-level sample of the route options that Google Maps could introduce to improve my journeys. I haven\u2019t even considered other travel predicaments, such as specific options for motorbike users, those who drive in cities with trams and other public transportation, drivers towing caravans or trailers, and weather-related options for those who traverse snow and ice.<\/p>\n Imagine if you could direct Google to choose the safest route rather than the fastest one when the roads are wet, or to avoid road-based public transport systems as much as possible. These would be relatively simple options in a menu, but ones that bring huge comfort to drivers and passengers.<\/p>\n Tushar Mehta \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n It\u2019s one thing to outline an enhanced vision of the feature, and quite another to implement it sensibly and cohesively. There is a question of how to name and frame each option, the overlapping attributes between them, and how the expansion would be implemented without cluttering the interface.<\/p>\n This would be the perfect role for Gemini in Google Maps, but I just can’t trust the voice assistant to be reliable.<\/p>\n Arguably, this would be the perfect role for Gemini in Google Maps<\/a>. It would likely be much easier to ask my car to \u201cDirect me to x, and prioritize paved roads\u201d than find this option in a menu stack, especially while driving. However, based on my experience with the Gemini app itself, I don\u2019t trust Google\u2019s voice assistants to understand my intentions reliably.<\/p>\n This is why, when I\u2019m faced with a physical option versus voice control, I will always stop and opt for the former. I can trust that I\u2019ve checked a box, but I cannot always trust that a voice assistant will understand me in time-critical situations.<\/p>\n I use Google Maps daily, so it must be doing something right, right? Well, yes!<\/p>\n As mentioned, it\u2019s a comprehensive navigation tool that helps millions of other users, and me, get from A to B when needed. However, I always believe that software \u2014 especially safety-critical software, such as a navigation app used while driving \u2014 should give users more customization and control. I don\u2019t always pass through toll plazas, and I\u2019ve never been on a ferry, but I do regularly avoid unpaved roads and prefer avoiding dangerous areas.<\/p>\n Look, I will applaud Google for consistently bringing improvements to Maps over the past few months. This week, the new Power Saving Mode<\/a> was rolled out to Pixel 10 users. It\u2019s a super feature that\u2019ll save the battery of heavy users. However, this change affects only a small portion of its user base; functional changes to its routing options could benefit considerably more.<\/p>\n![\"google](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/google-maps-android-auto-route-options-1.jpg\"\/ "\\"google")
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\nAvoid high-crime\/dangerous roads: As my colleague Megan Ellis wrote several weeks ago, one of her most requested Google Maps features would be crime information<\/a>, allowing users to view and avoid hotspots more easily. This is a brilliant idea that could work well as a routing option. It could also factor in the time of day, congestion along specific routes, and user reports of law enforcement. Similarly, some roads are more prone to accidents than others. An option to avoid these would be a valuable safety tool.
\nAvoid standstill traffic\/prioritize the calmest route: Forcing Google Maps to reroute around heavily congested areas (roads with traffic marked in red or dark red) that have been congested for a certain amount of time would be incredibly useful in a city like Cape Town. This option would give Maps the freedom to redirect onto a less trafficked road more proactively. It may not be the fastest route, but it may be the least stressful option.
\nAvoid difficult intersections\/prioritize right-hand\/left-hand turns: No one likes making a dangerous turn in an intersection with oncoming traffic, poor sightlines, and short light timings. In these instances, especially in unfamiliar cities, I\u2019d love an option to avoid these situations altogether, borrowing this feature from its sister app, Waze. Additionally, as I drive on the left-hand side of the road, pushing Google Maps to favor left-hand turns as much as possible would save me plenty of time and stress.
\nAvoid side\/back roads or prioritize trunk routes: I regularly use side roads in my area to avoid traffic along trunk routes. I\u2019m familiar with them and feel safe doing so. However, I don\u2019t appreciate it when Maps automatically does this in areas I\u2019m not familiar with. As a result, I\u2019d like an option to altogether avoid back roads in every possible circumstance, forcing Maps to route me through highways and primary routes as much as possible, even if a faster route exists.<\/p>\n![\"Google](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Google-Gemini-Live-Maps-extension.jpg\"\/ "\\"Google")
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