Does anyone else have troubles with Google Maps auto-dimming?

Shawn K

Professional Cat Confuser
Premier Member
#1
I won't even bother posting this on another riding forum because of the BW:BS ratio. I'm hoping that some experienced high-milers will have run into this.

To start, I use a Garmin Zumo 396 LMT-S as my navigator of choice. But every once in a while, I want to consult Google Maps on My Samsung Galaxy S20FE for something, and I have this recurring, nagging problem.

No matter what I do to try to stop it, Google Maps insists on dimming the screen after about 20 seconds. If I turn on the master Auto Brightness controls for the phone, Google Maps still auto-dims. If I turn off the master Auto Brightness and manually set to maximum, Google Maps still wants to auto-dim.

It's only Google Maps. My other commonly used apps (email, photo gallery, podcasts) will run at whatever brightness I set and stay there. Only Google Maps insists on auto-dimming no matter what I do. It does it whether it's 100+ degrees outside, or 40 degrees.

It's driving me nuts, as GMaps will dim so much that the app becomes essentially useless. I can't figure out for the life of me how to stop it.

Anyone else run into this? Is there some Secret Squirrel setting I'm missing? I don't want to use the Dark theme if I can avoid it.
 

EricV

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#3
I've read a couple of things about this recently, one Google response was that the screen's brightness is variable based upon the ambient lighting conditions during day or night. Apparently they removed features in Gmaps that gave you settings to turn this off.

The other comment was: To disable screen dimming during navigation -

To access this new setting initiate a navigation session, tap the menu button, then select More > Settings and de-select Screen Dimming (it's on by default).

I also read a comment from a phone expert that Samsung phones get overheated if the brightness is at max and will auto dim regardless of power saving mode off and auto dim off, etc. Not sure if that is relevant to your situation.

Another comment was that you need to actually be in navigation, as in you selected a point or address to route to and hit "Start Navigation". " Until you actually start the navigation your Android is treating Google Maps as another window and will turn it off automatically as per your display settings."

Is the phone plugged in and getting power or are you on the phone's battery power? Several comments suggested that if it's not plugged in, the dimming occurs with Gmaps, even if it doesn't with other apps. And there is supposedly a third party app to correct that.

Hope some of this is helpful.
 
#5
Buy an iPhone. Not being a smarta$$, but they just work better IMO. I used to be a die-hard Samsung Stan and found myself having to get into the settings and use apps and work arounds for everything. I bought an iPhone and mac, all my stuff synced immediately and everything seems to work without all the manipulation. Just sayin....
 

Russ Black

Premier Member
#6
As with the android phones, the iPhone will dim if the phone gets too hot. It will also stop charging or runnig off ships power until it gets cool enough. But other than that, GM stays at whatever your brightness setting are for the phone. As a result of this, I now use a wireless carplay device that has a daylight readable screen much like the Garmin XT GPS. The device also has the Android version of Carplay. This should allow you to keep your phone in your pocket or wherever and still be able to use GM.
 

Shawn K

Professional Cat Confuser
Premier Member
#7
Buy an iPhone. Not being a smarta$$, but they just work better IMO. I used to be a die-hard Samsung Stan and found myself having to get into the settings and use apps and work arounds for everything. I bought an iPhone and mac, all my stuff synced immediately and everything seems to work without all the manipulation. Just sayin....
There's no scenario where I would exile myself into Apple's walled garden of self-important smug superiority, just to avoid an issue with an app that I only use rarely on motorcycle trips. But I appreciate the suggestion.

As a result of this, I now use a wireless carplay device that has a daylight readable screen much like the Garmin XT GPS. The device also has the Android version of Carplay. This should allow you to keep your phone in your pocket or wherever and still be able to use GM.
I've been contemplating one of the units like what @Greg Rice is using, for that very reason. I think I'd prefer to just keep the phone in pocket if at all possible.
 
#8
Good to hear you keep an open mind. LOL! That is exactly why I avoided the iPhone originally, and then I looked into the privacy of Apple vs Android and especially Google. Not here to start any argument, but I just cherish my privacy. *smug smile* When I made the switch I was impressed and made into a convert, but I get what you are saying and don't disagree. In the end, all options suck for us consumers.
 

Shawn K

Professional Cat Confuser
Premier Member
#9
Good to hear you keep an open mind. LOL!
My opinion isn't a fart in the wind. I've used every major mobile OS since the inception of the smartphone - Palm OS, Symbian, early versions of Windows mobile OS (which was basically Windows NT with a bunch of stuff stripped out), Blackberry, Android (all versions since the original), Windows 10 Mobile (circa 2016-2017), and several versions of iOS since about iOS 5. I even played around with a Linux distro on mobile around mid-2014. My current personal phone is a Galaxy S20FE running Android 13, and my work phone is an iPhone 12 running the latest revision of iOS 16. This isn't me being belligerent, this is me speaking from close to two decades of experience. I don't like Apple products.

Unpopular opinion: In my opinion, the best, most intuitive, most stable, most promising mobile OS that came down the river was Windows 10 Mobile. But Steve Ballmer pretty much singlehandedly ensured that Microsoft was too little, too late to the party.
 

Marc11

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#10
The great thing about Apple Privacy and users is first, some of the first apps most people install on their iPhone are Meta/Facebook, Tiktok, Whatsapp, Instagram and various Google Apps....umm there goes that privacy and second they think Apple isn't mining their data and targeting them....lol lol lol Apple may not sell or allow access to certain data to third parties but to think Apple isn't using and making money from your data is well.... hysterical.

I have used them all too going back to the early 90s, through Blackberry days, Palm and more. iPhones since the 4 and my work phone is a Pro Max 14. My own phone is a Google Pixel, and have been using both Apple and Android since 2012, for me and my needs Android hands down.

Use what you like and what works for you but don't be a blind sheep IMHO.
 
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