As part of the November Feature DropGoogle added a new power saving mode to Google Maps. It allows the app to run directly on the Pixel 10’s Always-On Display while reducing power consumption. As usual, many Pixel owners reported not seeing the feature even after updating, but Google now appears to be rolling it out more widely.
Android Authority reports that many Pixel 10 users are now gaining access to Google Maps’ power-saving mode. The feature uses the phone’s AOD Min Mode to run Maps directly on the Always-On Display while consuming significantly less power.
As part of this, Maps shows all the directions in black-and-white, with the screen brightness and refresh rate also reduced to help with battery life. It will also only display important navigation directions and not update the screen as frequently.
You can check if the new power saving mode is rolled out on your Pixel 10 by going to Google Maps settings > Navigation and enabling the toggle for Power saving mode under Driving options. Alternatively, if the feature is available for your account, a card will appear the next time you start driving navigation directions in Google Maps on your Pixel 10.
This improvement to Google Maps is rolling out alongside Gemini integrationwhich should make hands-free navigation a lot more convenient.
How much power does it really save?
A wider release of Google Maps’ power-saving mode on the Pixel 10 will also help give us a better idea of how much battery it actually saves in real life. Google’s announcement only mentions that the feature will save power, but does not quantify the improvements.
Still, the feature will be particularly useful for those who frequently use their Pixel 10 for navigation sessions. It also only works with driving mode; other navigation options, such as walking or biking, are currently not supported.
For now, Google Maps’ power-saving mode is exclusive to the Pixel 10 family. Google may eventually bring it to the Pixel 9 series, but at the moment, you’ll need a Pixel 10 to try the feature out. It should, hopefully, also expand to other high-end Android devices within the next few months.