Adjusting the default Google Maps style

The Maps JavaScript API team regularly update their API and in August 2024, Google will be adjusting the default Google Maps style as used by your store locator if you use the Google Maps mapping service. You might have already seen this new style on https://maps.google.com/ as it has already been released there for most countries.

Here's a comparison of the two styles:

We don't yet have the exact date in August when this change will be released, however if you would like to stay with the previous map style then there is a way to do this.

In your HTML installation code from https://www.storelocatorwidgets.com/admin/Setup you will see the following section highlighted in bold which is used to import the Google Maps script:

<script type="text/javascript" id="googlemapsscript" src="//maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/js?key=YOUR_GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY&libraries=places&callback=storeLocatorGoogleMapsCallback">script>

You can keep the previous map style by appending '&v=3.57' to the src attribute as shown below:

<script type="text/javascript" id="googlemapsscript" src="//maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/js?key=YOUR_GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY&libraries=places&callback=storeLocatorGoogleMapsCallback&v=3.57">script>

After March 18, 2025, this opt-out method will no longer be available. Subject to requests from customers, we may make the previous map style available as a style on the Map Colors page in our admin console: https://www.storelocatorwidgets.com/admin/Appearance/MapColors.

Conversely, if you would like to test the new map style before May 2024, you can view this map style by appending '&v=beta' to the src attribute as shown below:

<script type="text/javascript" id="googlemapsscript" src="//maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/js?key=YOUR_GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY&libraries=places&callback=storeLocatorGoogleMapsCallback&v=beta">script>