This new feature is quite similar to the Mario Day feature that Google Maps announced back on March 10. In that feature, users could swap the blue navigation arrow to Mario and his kart. This time, however, the changed icons are not so nostalgic, but still, a fun way to spice up the drive. The feature was announced in a tweet by Munish Dabas, a UX Engineer with the Google Maps team, who also announced the Mario Kart feature in the app.
How to change vehicle icon on Google Maps
In order to use this change vehicle icon feature on Google Maps, users will need to update to the latest Google Maps app on App store. Then they will need to start the navigation and tap once on the blue colored navigation arrow. This will show them three options: a red sedan, a green pickup truck, and a yellow minivan. Tap on any of the three to select the vehicle and it will replace the navigation arrow and become your virtual vehicle.
— Munish (@munishdabas) May 5, 2018 The icon will remain same in future navigation as well until you change it to another option or to the old blue navigation arrow. Interestingly, you can use these new vehicle icons even if you choose walking, a motorcycle or public transport for navigation purposes. Though this is not a major change or feature, this makes Google Maps navigation certainly more fun. Google Maps is already most popular navigation app among iOS users and Android users and it has around a billion active users across the globe.
