February 2026

There were 1,487 posts published in February 2026 (this is page 124 of 149).

Car Icons Are Disappearing From Google Maps in Android Auto (but You Might Be Able to Fix It)

Android Auto users are reporting a bug that is making their cars disappear from the road—ok, not literally, but within Google Maps. On both Reddit and Google’s own support forums, drivers now say their car icons are sporadically disappearing from their navigation screens while using the Google Maps app through Android Auto. Some users have discovered workarounds, but the fixes don’t appear to be consistent for everyone. Here’s what’s happening, and what you can do to try to fix it.

Why are car icons disappearing in Google Maps in Android Auto?

The news first started popping up six days ago, on a Reddit thread where multiple users reported problems with their car icons disappearing while using the Google Maps app through Android Auto. According to these drivers, when the bug was triggered, the map would move around normally, and traffic data and navigation instructions continued to display as expected. However, the icon indicating their car’s position would suddenly disappear from their screen, making it difficult to know where exactly they were in comparison to the road. That’s not ideal if you’re trying to judge when your next turn is coming up.

According to the thread’s original poster, the issue popped up for them on the Android Auto version 16.1 release, although others mentioned the issue occurring as far back as version 15.9. The bug doesn’t appear to happen all the time, but “reliably” appears when leaving Google Maps, opening another app in fullscreen, and either returning to Google Maps in fullscreen or pulling it up alongside the new app in a splitscreen view. To get their icon back, the original poster had to force quit Google Maps on their phone, but this wouldn’t stop the bug from occurring again in the future. Google itself has not yet offered public comment on the issue, although I’ve reached out to the company and will update this post when I hear back.

How to fix Google Maps in Android Auto

If you’re encountering a disappearing car icon while using Google Maps through Android Auto, there are a few fixes that have worked for community members, although whether they’ll work for everyone appears to be inconsistent.

Try updating or downgrading your Android Auto version

The timing of this bug appears to line up with the Android Auto v16.1 release, which launched last week. While the bug has been reported appearing on older versions of the app, like Android Auto v15.9, it could be worth trying out another version of Android Auto to see if it clears up the issue. For instance, one user mentioned that installing Android Auto V16.0.66 fixed the issue for them. If you’re on an older version, you can update to a newest one from the Android Auto listing on the Play Store. If you’re on a newest version and want to try an older one, though, you’ll need to uninstall your Android Auto app and manually sideload the older version using a trusted APK file. Because these can be tricky to verify, this might not be the best option for most people.

Try changing your Android Auto car icon

Multiple users in the original Reddit thread, including the original poster, pointed out that the bug only seems to affect them when using a non-default car icon. Until Google issues a fix, one solution might be to change your car icon back to the standard white arrow within a blue circle. To change your car icon in Google Maps, open the app on your phone while not connected to Android Auto. Start navigating to a location. Tap on your car icon, and swipe left or right to adjust the icon until you land on the default white arrow within a blue circle. The next time you connect your Google Maps app to Android Auto, your car’s icon should be updated. Note that this isn’t a guaranteed fix. One user on a Google support forum, for instance, said that their arrow icon also disappeared from Google Maps in Android Auto when returning from another app.

Avoid triggering the bug, or use an alternative navigation app

If there is one saving grace to this bug, it’s that the circumstances for triggering it seem to be pretty consistent. That means you can largely avoid it if you simply don’t leave the Google Maps app once you open it. But while that might be OK for short trips, it’s not ideal for longer ones, where you might want to adjust a podcast or playlist during your drive. You can manually restart your Google Maps app on your phone every time the bug pops up, but not only is that annoying, it’s possibly dangerous if you’re in the middle of a drive.

If none of the above fixes work for you and you want to retain the ability to exit your fullscreen navigation app without losing your car icon, it might be worth putting Google Maps to bed for now and using an alternative navigation app. Google’s own Waze app, for instance, works with Android Auto and does not seem to have this bug right now. Alternative navigation apps do have their own pros and cons, as Waze focuses less on comprehensive mapping and more on real-time crowdsourced traffic information when determining routes. However, it might be worth a shot. If Waze doesn’t work for you, other popular navigation apps compatible with Android Auto include Sygic GPS and TomTom – Maps & Traffic (formerly TomTom AmiGo).

Yankees Potential Free Agent Target: Ty France

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 27: Ty France #2 of the Toronto Blue Jays bats during the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game three of the 2025 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 27, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The offseason trudges onward, and while the Yankees have likely made their splash by bringing back Cody Bellinger, there is always more work to do. One potential move could be to add another right-handed bat on the infield to provide a counterbalance to their lefty-heavy lineup. It would be a supplementary move, though depth is certainly never a bad thing, and Ty France could fit that bill quite well for the Yankees.

The veteran has been a very good Major League hitter for stretches, and is coming off of his first career Gold Glove award. It would be risky to think his best days are ahead of him, but France could prove to be a valuable addition to plenty of teams around the league, a list that perhaps includes the Yankees.

2025 Statistics: 138 games, 490 PA, .257/.320/.360, 7 HR, 52 RBI, 92 wRC+, 10 Outs Above Average, 0.9 fWAR

2026 FanGraphs Depth Charts Projections: 78 games, 336 PA, .252/.321/.383, 8 HR, 38 RBI, 98 wRC+, 0.5 fWAR

Ty France came up to the big leagues in 2019, his age-24 season, with the Padres. After a brief but unconvincing stretch in his debut season, France began to make noise in the shortened 2020 season, where he managed a 133 wRC+ across 43 games between San Diego and the Mariners.

A year later, the right-handed hitting infielder was in full breakout mode. During the ‘21 season, his first crack at a real full-time role, France was a major contributor across 650 plate appearances in Seattle. During that stretch, he swatted 18 homers, reached base at a .368 clip, and maintained an impressive 129 wRC+. The next year, he was just as good in the same role, this time topping 20 homers for the first time, and even earning his first All-Star selection.

France was legitimately an All-Star level player over those three seasons, and although it was not that long ago, his stock has fallen significantly since then. 2023 was his last full season with the Mariners, and while he was still a generally above-average contributor with the bat, playing primarily as a first baseman with significantly diminished power at the plate, his production had become far less valuable.

Since then, France has bounced around teams (playing with Seattle and Cincinnati in ‘24, and splitting time between the Twins and Blue Jays last season), finding even less success with the bat. Between those two seasons since then, the first baseman has been a below average bat (90 OPS+), reaching base far less often and displaying significantly less power over that time. They are troubling trends, to be sure, but don’t necessarily tell the entire story with France.

In a rather surprising turn of events, France has at least turned himself into an elite defender at first base. In 2024, he was a 1st percentile defender, with -12 OAA, last season, he was 96th percentile (10 OAA), and took home his first Gold Glove award. If he’s able to maintain anything close to that level of prowess with the leather, along with his contact skills at the plate, his floor is certainly kept above water. This isn’t to mention any kind of bounce back in the on-base or power departments, which is not entirely out of the picture.

When it comes to the Yankees, there is definitely a plausible fit with France. They have been reportedly interested in the veteran’s services, and it’s not difficult to see why. A competent right-handed bat to compliment Ben Rice at first base, and to take over if Rice plays behind the plate, would be a luxury to the Yankees, and someone with France’s skillset could make a lot of sense.

Entering his age-31 season, the contact-reliant first baseman seems to be on the decline, but his ability to develop elite skills as recently as last season at least keeps the door open to continued production one way or another. France’s services would also be unlikely to break the bank, as he’s coming off consecutive underwhelming seasons, and may have to join his future squad in a complementary role. It would be a low-risk investment, and one that could make some sense for the Yankees.

Blaze Alexander traded to Orioles for Kade Stroud

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 27: Blaze Alexander #9 of the Arizona Diamondbacks reacts after being hit by a pitch during the first inning of a game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on September 27, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Steve Gilbert was first with the news that Blaze Alexander is being traded to the Baltimore Orioles for relief pitcher Kade Strowd, and a pair of minor-league prospects. Strowd is a 28-year-old right-hander, who reached the majors for Baltimore last year, and impressed with a 1.71 ERA across 27 appearances. He struck out 26 across 24.1 innings, though his FIP of 3.40 was considerably higher. He doesn’t even have a year of service time, so Strowd comes with a lot of team control – he won’t even be arbitration eligible until 2029. It seems he could be the ‘bridge closer’ Mike Hazen spoke about getting, until A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez are ready to come back.

The prospects are right-handed pitcher Wellington Aracena and infielder Jose Mejia. Aracena turned 21 in December and spent last year in A- and High A-ball, after being traded to the Orioles from the Mets last July, in the Gregory Soto deal. All told, he had a 2.25 ERA across 92 innings, with a 114:51 K:BB ratio. Mejia is younger still, being just 20, and played almost all of 2025 in the Florida Complex League. He did hit quite well there, with a particularly impressed 16:26 K:BB ratio. That helped him to a triple-slash line of .274/.418/.411 for an OPS of .829 across 47 games. A long way to go for both men.

Alexander, of course, should be well-known – not least for having won the SnakePit’s 2025 award for Play of the Year. He played a total of 135 games since making his debut at the start of 2024. There had been consideration to him perhaps playing left-field this year, especially after the trade for Nolan Arenado gave the D-backs an everyday starter at third-base. But that option is no longer on the table. Alexander was definitely a fan favorite here though, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors with the Orioles.