In summary
- Power Saving Mode finally rolling out
- Pixel 10 only for now
- Driving mode and portrait view required
Google is finally rolling out a major new power saving feature to users of its Pixel 10 smartphone series.
The November Pixel drop brought a stack of new features to Pixel phone users, but one particular feature has proved to be a little tardy.
One of the neater sounding additions was supposed to be the ability to press the power button while navigating in Google Maps, which would then switch to a simplified layout showing only key information like your next turn. Thus, you could complete a vital route even when your phone was on its last legs.
That feature wasn’t actually available when the November Pixel Drop started rolling out a couple of weeks ago. Now, however, it is.
Power Saving Mode rolling out now
As Android Authority points out, Google Pixel 10 owners are reporting receiving the aforementioned Power Saving Mode in Google Maps.
It utilises a new Android feature called AOD Min Mode, which capitalises on the Always-on Display to save energy, switching to a black-and-white output (which is particularly effective on OLED displays), dropping the screen brightness, and lowering the display’s refresh rate.
Google reckons that you’ll be able to gain as much as four hours of navigation time by switching to this new Power Saving Mode.

Chris Martin / Foundry
It isn’t perfect. Not only is it limited to the Pixel 10 range (for the moment at least), but it also only works in driving mode. For whatever reason, walkers and bikers can’t capitalise on its energy-saving abilities.
Anyone who likes to navigate in landscape view (raises hand) is out of luck, too. It’s portrait only.
How to access Power Saving Mode in Google Maps
To access the feature automatically following the update, Pixel 10 users should head to the Google Maps Settings menu, head to the Navigation Driving options section, and locate Power Saving Mode to make sure it’s active.
Now, pressing the power button whilst in turn-by-turn driving navigation mode will activate the mode. Tapping the screen will exit.
There’s no indication of when it’ll come to older Pixel phones, but we can’t see why it wouldn’t.



















