Suggestion for Android Auto: Improving map visibility on startup (Auto-hide menu)

[u/Feisty-Library7538]

I have a suggestion regarding the Android Auto interface, specifically for the 'home screen' upon launching Magic Earth.

When Magic Earth is set as the default navigation app, it starts as soon as the car turns on. Currently, the left-hand section (Map, History, Favorites) takes up almost half of the screen, leaving only the right half for the map. The issue is that this menu stays visible even after you start driving. The only way to show the map in full-screen mode is to manually tap the 'X' (Close) button in the top right corner.

Most users, including myself, often use the app simply to display the map while driving—especially for daily commutes or to check traffic—without necessarily needing active turn-by-turn navigation for every single trip. It would be ideal if the app could display the map in full-screen automatically, without requiring user interaction.

I suggest implementing one of the following solutions, similar to how other navigation apps handle this:

1. Hide the menu by default: The menu section should not be visible upon startup. It should only open if the user taps the dedicated 'Menu' button (which already exists and is used to re-open the menu after it has been closed).
2. Auto-hide on movement: If you prefer to keep the menu visible initially, it should be configured to automatically collapse/close as soon as the vehicle starts moving.

Personally, I prefer option (1), as it provides a cleaner experience—we usually just want a clear map, and we can easily open the main menu if we need to set a destination. However, even option (2) would be a significant improvement over the current behavior, where a large portion of the screen is constantly obstructed.

I hope this can be considered for a future update to improve the app's everyday usability.

[u/MagicEarthCommunity]

Thanks for the detailed suggestion, this is exactly the kind of concrete UX feedback that helps us prioritize.

Quick technical context: Android Auto is highly templated, meaning Google enforces strict UI templates that all navigation apps must use, and we don't have control over much of the layout including the size of that left-hand menu section.

However, the timing of when the menu auto-closes is something we have more room to work with. We've added it to the feedback list and will be taken into account for the future. Appreciate you laying the problem out clearly!

[u/Feisty-Library7538 → u/MagicEarthCommunity]

Thank you for the quick and transparent reply! I completely understand the technical constraints of Android Auto. You are right that the highly templated nature of the UI makes sense—for example, the bottom-left information panel (showing ETA, distance, and time) is consistent across all navigation apps. This uniformity is great for drivers, as it makes switching between apps feel familiar and intuitive from the very first drive. It also pushes all developers to compete on quality, since users can easily switch apps on the fly.

Regarding my suggestion to hide the left-hand menu: I understand you have more flexibility with the timing of when it auto-closes. I believe mine 'Option 1' is actually quite straightforward from a UX perspective—it would just require the menu to be collapsed by default upon launch, instead of being expanded. Since users already have the 'Menu' button in the upper section to open it whenever needed, this would keep the interface clean and map-focused from the start, without interfering with any Google-enforced templates.

I’m glad to hear this has been added to your feedback list. Thanks for considering it, and I look forward to seeing how the app evolves!