Ryan Haines / Android Authority
Tl; DR
- Google MAPS V25.28 Stable and V25.29 BETA deleted multimedia reading controls in the application.
- The deleted function has enabled easy access to playing, browsing suggestions or opening the default musical application.
- The functionality still exists on iOS, and Google has confirmed via a declaration that it is a bug on which the fix is being worked.
Update, July 22, 2025 (02:44 am he): A Google spokesperson shared the following statement for this problem:
We actively work to solve a problem that affects multimedia reading controls on Google Maps.
The statement confirms that missing multimedia controls are just a bug, and Google works on a fix to bring them back. There is no ETA at the moment when it is corrected, but at least the company has recognized the problem and confirmed that a fix is underway.
Original article, July 21, 2025 (07:58 am he): Google Maps remains one of the best applications for Android devices, but it’s not perfect. There are many ways in which Google can improve the experience of cards, and a good starting step is to keep the features that users use and not delete them, especially if the replacement functionality is not available. The last change for Google Maps makes you very difficult to control your music during navigation, and it’s quite exasperating.
As spotted by 9TO5GOOGLEGoogle MAPS V25.28 Stable as well as MAPS V25.29 BETA deleted the multimedia reading controls which appeared at the bottom of the application during navigation.
The media commands were at a scanning at the bottom, and you could easily control the reading of here. Users can also press the Browse button for nine quick suggestions to pass quickly. If you needed more options, there was a practical shortcut to quickly open the musical application. If you needed more real estate, you can slide the orders to keep them away again.
These practical media control shortcuts had to be activated in Google Maps’ parameters> Navigation> Display multimedia reading controls. This feature worked with YouTube Music and Spotify, and you can also select your default multimedia application. However, the new Google Maps update on stable channels and beta has deleted all of this.
This function was my default way to control the music reading during navigation. Although there are other external ways to control the reading, having control directly on the navigation screen was super practical because it minimized the distractions and taps necessary to simply change a song. Now, you must discuss your music player application or use the notification of active multimedia player in the notification panel to control the reading, which means that you must move away from the MAPS screen and, worse, be distracted for a few more seconds during driving.
It is not immediately clear if this deletion is intentional or simply a bug, but the functionality remains present on Google Maps for iOS, for what it is worth.
We contacted Google to learn more about the deletion of Google Maps’ multimedia reading controls. We will keep you posted when we learn more.
