Google’s getting rid of its standalone Driving Mode dashboard

The standalone version of Driving Mode isn’t to be confused with the Driving Mode feature built into Google Maps, which automatically boots up once you start navigation. As Esper’s Mishaal RahmanGoogle: These are the points Addition of Assistant Driving Mode to Maps BeforeIt even launched the standalone Driving Mode.

The only difference between the two is that you can access the standalone version by saying a voice command like “Hey Google, launch Driving Mode,” or by tapping the Driving Mode shortcut on your phone’s home screen. Once Driving Mode shuts down, you’ll just have to access its features by starting navigation in Google Maps, which is probably what many users have been doing anyway.

The shutdown is somewhat disappointing for anyone who doesn’t have an Android Auto-compatible car with a digital navigation system. The standalone Driving Mode service was meant to replace the “Android Auto for Phone Screens” appGoogle stopped supporting Android 12.