It looks like Google Maps could be in for a user interface update.
New screenshots show the popular mapping and navigation software without the usual sidebar. Addresses, pictures and other options now appear in a popup overlay, similar to the way Google Maps is displayed on mobile devices.
"The update will remove the sidebar and will display everything on top of the full-screen map. One of the new features lets you restrict local search results to places recommended by top reviews or your Google+ circles," writes the unofficial Google Operating System blog. "Instead of focusing on navigational elements, buttons and sidebars, the new Google Maps focuses on the map. Google has also updated map colors, icons, text styles."
No word on when the update is supposed to roll out, but the Google I/O conference is happening next week, so if this news is true, look for an announcement there.
Google Maps is one of the tech giant's most popular and widely-used services. The accurate maps, directions and satellite imagery have brought convenient GPS navigation to the pockets of millions of people around the world, and even uncovered mapping errors and gulags in North Korea.
Google is often a cautious company, sometimes keeping products in beta for years, so any interface change has likely undergone extensive testing, which makes it a little strange that this is the first time we heard about it. Of course, Google also likes to surprise users, and none of its products stays the same for too long.
The shift would also align with a recent update to Gmail, which moved the composition window for new emails into a popup, rather than a separate page. That relatively large change took only a few months to completely implement, moving quickly from option to feature.
We'll see if Google Maps follows suit.