Google Maps now lets you pick and paint your own virtual car

Key Takeaways

• Google Maps is testing new vehicle icons for more personalized navigation.
• An upcoming update will include additional car choices and up to 8 color options.
• New icons appear to be iOS exclusive for now, but expect them to arrive on Android soon.

Google Maps remains one of the best navigation apps around. There are numerous ways to personalize your Google Maps experience. One popular option is the ability to change the vehicle marker to suit your style. Now, it appears that Google is testing additional vehicle icons on Maps, allowing users even more options to personalize their navigation experience.

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Currently, Google Maps offers four vehicle icons to choose from: the default blue arrow marker, along with options for a red car, yellow SUV, and green pickup truck. These icons were introduced almost four years ago and haven’t seen an update since. However, Google appears to be testing a new update that could expand customization options for vehicle markers.

Google Maps may soon offer more vehicle icon options

With an upcoming update, users will be able to pick from five additional car icons, including choices like a sedan, SUV, Jeep, hatchback, and a model that resembles a Tesla. Additionally, users will be able to personalize these new icons with up to eight color choices, such as Glacier White (the default), Night Black, Aqua Green, Poppy red, and more.

The original blue arrow and the older vehicle icons will remain available, but it appears that only the new icons support color customization.

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It's worth noting that we spotted this feature on Google Maps running on an iPhone 16 Pro, while it was not available on our Android devices, including the newly-launched Pixel 9. This suggests the new icons might be arriving on iOS first. However, since Google typically maintains feature parity between Android and iOS versions of Maps, we expect it to arrive on Android in the near future as well.

Google has been actively improving Maps with new features across the board. Recently, it introduced Gemini integration for Maps, allowing users to ask questions about nearby places in natural language. Additionally, the company rolled out improved lane guidance for Maps on Android Auto for easier navigation.