Google has released Assistant Driving mode updates very weirdly over the past few years. With that in mind, several users are reporting a new shortcut widget option that makes accessing the feature significantly easier.
To add the shortcut, open Google Assitant on your phone and say “Driving mode.” Then, navigate to the app drawer in the bottom right corner, and at the bottom of that window, you should see an option that says “Add Driving mode to Home screen.” This button allows you to add a small widget that’s roughly the same size as an app icon.
If you’re someone who drives a lot and uses Assistant Driving mode, this is likely a useful update for you. I managed to update my Pixel 4a (5G) with the feature, and you can even place the widget/shortcut into folders.
If you don’t want to use the new shortcut, you can also have Driving mode launch automatically when you start using Google Maps. All you need to do is connect to your car’s Bluetooth or when your phone detects that you’re driving for Driving mode to launch. You can, of course, still say, “Ok Google, start Driving mode.”
Unfortunately, Driving mode still hasn’t adopted Google’s ‘Material You’ colour guidelines yet and it’s unclear if it ever will.
Via: 9to5Google
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