The Bug Is Fixed for Android

If you’re an Android user who relies on Google Maps for navigation and tunes, you might have experienced a small but frustrating hiccup earlier this week. Suddenly, the handy media playback controls that let you skip songs or pause your podcast directly from the navigation screen vanished. Many were worried this useful feature had met its end in Google’s “graveyard” of discontinued services. That said, Google Maps’ media controls are making their return to the app.

The initial disappearance of these useful buttons caused quite a bit of confusion. However, Google quickly clarified the situation, confirming that it was just a bug. At the time, the company also said they were working to resolve it. Well, as reported by Android Police, the fix is now rolling out.

You should soon notice the return of media controls to Google Maps for Android. You might start seeing them pop back even if your app version hasn’t changed. That’s because the solution is arriving as a server-side update. This means it’s happening quietly in the background without needing a full app update from you.

While the core functionality is back, there might still be a minor adjustment to get used to. In some tests, the media controls don’t immediately appear on the smaller navigation card at the bottom of the screen. Instead, you might need to tap or swipe up on that card to expand it first, and then your play/pause and skip buttons will be visible. It’s a small extra step, but a minor inconvenience compared to having no controls at all.

For those who like to customize their experience, the settings for this feature are available in their usual spot. You can find them under Settings > Navigation > Show media playback controls and Default media app.

Interestingly, the bug in question did not affect the app for iOS devices. Anyway, with the fix in place, Android users are able to manage their music and podcasts directly from Maps again, without jumping between apps.