Google Maps users unable to minimize side bar blocking half the screen on tablets & foldable devices, fix in the works

Google Maps is quite popular and widely used worldwide by millions of people for navigation, mapping and transit services.

You can access the service both from the website and from mobile apps. However, the app sometimes presents some issues such as malfunctioning on the Pixel Watch, a broken search bar on Android, among others.

Now, according to multiple reports, Google Maps users are currently unable to minimize the app’s side bar that is blocking half the screen on foldable smartphones and tablets.

Google Maps users unable to minimize side bar on tablets & foldables

The Google Maps app has a side bar that displays various functions for quick access during navigation. This bar ‘floats’ over half of the map UI and can be minimized to see the entire map.

However, those using foldable smartphones and tablets are reporting that they are unable to minimize the side bar. As a result, it’s always interfering with the map view by obstructing almost half of the screen.

Unable to minimize side bar which blocks half my map

When I turn my Fold 4 phone on the size while using the google map, the side bar blocks half my map and I’m unable to minimize the side bar. This problem only came about recently, likely to be after an upgrade of google map. Anyone with the same issue?
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How can I minimize the panel blocking half of my screen on Google Maps when on landscape mode

On portrait mode, I can click on the top bar of the panel and it disappears, but on landscape mode, I click on it and nothing happens. It keeps blocking essential parts of the navigation.
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The bug seems to occur when the tablet or foldable phone is in landscape mode. However, the app reportedly works correctly if you use the device in portrait mode.

Official acknowledgment, potential workaround

Fortunately, the Google Maps team is already aware of the glitch and working on a fix. However, there is no ETA for its rollout yet.

I’ve got a response from the Maps Team, that they are working on it. A fix will be released with one of the next releases. But it will take some days.
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In the meantime, you can try to uninstall the app and install the previous version. For this, you can use secure APK repositories like APK Mirror.

If you don’t want to downgrade the app, then you can always use the app in portrait mode until the official fix becomes available.

We will update this story as events unfold in the future.

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