Google Maps is getting better Assistant integration in the latest update

Google isn't just refining the design of the Google Maps app, it's also updating the app's features as it looks to further improve the navigation experience. Some Maps users have already noticed one of the new features Google is testing, a special navigation-optimized Google Assistant. Any actions wont cover up the map – e.g. starting a call or sending a message keeps the dialer and messaging apps in the background so you always have a clear view of the map. With a lower visual profile to help users focus on driving, Assistant will be optimised for navigation, and take up less space to minimise distraction for drivers. It seems that this feature is enabled for some (but not all) users who have updated to version 10.4.1 of Maps.

The update comes with a new multi-colored Google Assistant microphone button as well as a new "listening" symbol that appears unobtrusively at the bottom of the screen.

According to 9to5Google, the new Assistant integration is rolling out in the latest stable release of Google Maps - version 10.4.1.

We're now in the final stretch of 2018 and that means it's time to start celebrating the best (and trying to forget the worst) of everything that happened over the past 12 months.