Google’s closing out the year strong with a number of updates coming to its Pixel phones. The major one is the November Pixel Feature Drop, which brings a ton of new features and tweaks that aims to really enhance the Android experience. If you haven’t yet had the chance to take a look, we recommend downloading the update on your Pixel phone.
While there are a ton of standout features, like improved notifications and better Scam Protection, one of the biggest new additions to Android this time is the Google Maps power-saving mode. For years, users have navigated the world using Google Maps, logging millions of hours with the app. And while navigation tools have been a lifesaver for many, they do come at a huge cost, requiring tons of battery life when activated.
We need this on other phones
This often leaves users suffering by needing to carry around a power bank during navigation-intensive adventures, or just risk not having enough battery to last throughout the rest of the day. Sure, you can activate power-saving mode in order to mitigate power loss, but Google hasn’t offered a direct solution to this problem until now.
The new power-saving mode for Google Maps that will preserve battery while using navigation. It does this by utilizing a monochrome color scheme and minimizing the graphics that are displayed on the screen. Despite its simplistic UI, the app will still show you all the important details though, like the time to your destination, directions, and more.
It’s unclear just how much battery life this new mode can save, but we’ll probably hear more about real-world experiences over the next couple of weeks as more people get their hands on it. Now, the bad news is that this mode is only available for the Pixel 10 lineup (via Android Authority). So if you have a Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, 10 Pro XL, 10 Pro Fold – you’re good to go.
If you’re using any other Pixel phone, you’re going to be out of luck for now. It’s unclear at this point if this is just meant to be an exclusive feature for now, or if there’s some kind of hardware limitation. Regardless, this is a feature that needs to arrive to other phones as soon as it can. Being able to squeeze as much battery life out of a phone is crucial.
But, if you’re a Pixel 10 user, be sure to grab the November Pixel Feature Drop that’s rolling out right now in order to start messing around with all the latest features. If you have an older Pixel device, you can still download the update, you just won’t have access to Google Maps power-saving mode.
