"Classic" Google Maps to disappear forever

[Roadrunner75]

I hit the question mark this morning to return back to classic google maps and it sends me to lite mode instead.

It seems to be jumping back and forth at random.  One time it took me to Classic, and another time it took me to Lite.  Even if I can still get to Classic directly via the link, it occurred to me that it's going to be annoying when I click through a GSV link posted in the forum which sends me to new maps, and I can no longer just directly switch back to Classic as my habit.

[jakeroot]

I hit the question mark this morning to return back to classic google maps and it sends me to lite mode instead.

It seems to be jumping back and forth at random.  One time it took me to Classic, and another time it took me to Lite.  Even if I can still get to Classic directly via the link, it occurred to me that it's going to be annoying when I click through a GSV link posted in the forum which sends me to new maps, and I can no longer just directly switch back to Classic as my habit.

I'm think it's redirecting you two to the new Google Maps (full version), but then re-redirecting you to the classic maps because Google doesn't think your computers can handle it.    ...?

[Roadrunner75]

I hit the question mark this morning to return back to classic google maps and it sends me to lite mode instead.

It seems to be jumping back and forth at random.  One time it took me to Classic, and another time it took me to Lite.  Even if I can still get to Classic directly via the link, it occurred to me that it's going to be annoying when I click through a GSV link posted in the forum which sends me to new maps, and I can no longer just directly switch back to Classic as my habit.

I'm think it's redirecting you two to the new Google Maps (full version), but then re-redirecting you to the classic maps because Google doesn't think your computers can handle it.    ...?

Hopefully it keeps thinking my computer can't handle it.  My PC actually can handle new maps decently (got Windows 7, Core i5), even if it's a little slow in GSV (much slower than Classic).  It's more that I just can't stand it.  I also have my browser dump all cookies, passwords, history etc. on exit, so I'm new to Google each time, which also has the downside that it won't 'remember' my preference for Classic. 

[vdeane]

Interestingly, I CAN do things like drag routes, view the month/year of street view imagery (and view old imagery), right click to get the distance measurement, etc. in Lite mode... the only thing I'm unable to do is view old aerial images and view the month/year of the aerial image (since Lite mode has satellite view instead of Earth view).  Perhaps it's because I force Lite mode by disabling WebGL via Chrome's about://flags page instead of using a setting in Maps?

[Purgatory On Wheels]

Any way to force this link to open in classic maps?  New maps cuts off the last several stops I had programmed, which would have routed me along US 69 in MO & IA, not I-35:

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Court+St&daddr=40.378055,-96.1897753+to:39.8417258,-96.4052565+to:39.8124211,-94.8405036+to:39.9444098,-94.8218877+to:40.3421188,-94.8730497+to:40.382364,-94.863916+to:40.2564317,-94.339112+to:39.692783,-94.2295962+to:39.7650195,-94.2343071+to:39.8815783,-94.1159879+to:40.1312585,-94.1062682+to:40.4345337,-93.9925832+to:40.499703,-93.9935357+to:40.6237697,-93.8590626+to:41.0137328,-93.7625293+to:41.4022871,-93.5585651+to:41.644954,-93.6004267+to:41.7081783,-93.600444+to:41.8996533,-93.604951+to:42.0917698,-93.6204881+to:42.4349855,-93.640124+to:43.2773056,-93.6366574+to:43.6455278,-93.3915586+to:43.8818454,-92.4884643&hl=en&ll=40.113789,-95.906525&spn=0.928415,2.113495&sll=39.886558,-94.174805&sspn=0.93151,2.113495&geocode=FYNoZgId_MI7-g%3BFcceaAIdsUJE-imBFrschs6VhzEu5foKy1iZ7Q%3BFb3vXwId-PhA-inx-GEYfwCWhzGqSERlP1FASA%3BFUV9XwIdSdlY-ilpSPF1bxzAhzEuxHoIZOFbuw%3BFdmAYQIdASJZ-imjm44RuKbqhzEjoYmCA496Vg%3BFWaSZwIdJ1pY-ilzysbVbMXqhzEKwxkLMes1SA%3BFZwvaAId1H1Y-ikjzKY3xdrqhzF6dhNTpDBBRA%3BFa9DZgId2H9g-ild1uVxQ17qhzFk_H-rB9qkig%3BFe-pXQIdpCti-ilHmyVvgcXBhzFPm4HPEFAnYw%3BFRvEXgIdPRli-imvmfmZddDBhzEeQBGCPtBnuQ%3BFWqLYAIdbedj-ilPSL18EN_BhzG2lwYEDnz3_g%3BFbpaZAIdZA1k-in3uLbs9mzqhzEpGgaP98m3Zg%3BFWX7aAIdecll-ik_R6SfMTfqhzHmAa17uiNVmA%3BFff5aQIdwcVl-imlwIXXDjTqhzESo36wVheD8A%3BFZneawIdCtNn-imn51-0s9PrhzG7fIf6UR073w%3BFeTRcQIdH0xp-ilJ4hK1YOLrhzHsgBdnRI8Xtw%3BFa-_dwId22hs-ikdB5ljlrruhzF3TJmCR-vjmQ%3BFZpzewIdVsVr-ikLtkW0apruhzGlkeaP7jVSNA%3BFZJqfAIdRMVr-imjflpmSoXuhzF4H1JVojJjSw%3BFYVWfwIdqbNr-imDwSbmHn3uhzF7SQZA48AfTw%3BFflEggId-HZr-im_ZXbKgnHuhzHKyx0JgxXjHw%3BFamBhwIdRCpr-in_5YjXvwPuhzF_3_S-xTGnpQ%3BFflblAIdzzdr-imZ2wGqzmTxhzHhFRcVGa5Ttw%3BFVf6mQIdOvVu-ik9t8EqaDbxhzELinhBOSiO8g%3BFVmXnQIdEb18-inL7eI4slf3hzEm4GRlK6teXw&gl=us&mra=dpe&mrsp=11&sz=10&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23&t=m&z=10

Just not sure where to edit the URL to force classic, assuming it's possible.  And I am really hoping it's possible, as I have saved dozens of these.

Thanks.

[Billy F 1988]

Uh, I KNOW they do, not just realize they do.

Obligatory Scrubs gif:



sry m8, i do not understand

Well, sry m8. I don't speak internet slang, so, yeah.

[wxfree]

Any way to force this link to open in classic maps?  New maps cuts off the last several stops I had programmed, which would have routed me along US 69 in MO & IA, not I-35:

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Court+St&daddr=40.378055,-96.1897753+to:39.8417258,-96.4052565+to:39.8124211,-94.8405036+to:39.9444098,-94.8218877+to:40.3421188,-94.8730497+to:40.382364,-94.863916+to:40.2564317,-94.339112+to:39.692783,-94.2295962+to:39.7650195,-94.2343071+to:39.8815783,-94.1159879+to:40.1312585,-94.1062682+to:40.4345337,-93.9925832+to:40.499703,-93.9935357+to:40.6237697,-93.8590626+to:41.0137328,-93.7625293+to:41.4022871,-93.5585651+to:41.644954,-93.6004267+to:41.7081783,-93.600444+to:41.8996533,-93.604951+to:42.0917698,-93.6204881+to:42.4349855,-93.640124+to:43.2773056,-93.6366574+to:43.6455278,-93.3915586+to:43.8818454,-92.4884643&hl=en&ll=40.113789,-95.906525&spn=0.928415,2.113495&sll=39.886558,-94.174805&sspn=0.93151,2.113495&geocode=FYNoZgId_MI7-g%3BFcceaAIdsUJE-imBFrschs6VhzEu5foKy1iZ7Q%3BFb3vXwId-PhA-inx-GEYfwCWhzGqSERlP1FASA%3BFUV9XwIdSdlY-ilpSPF1bxzAhzEuxHoIZOFbuw%3BFdmAYQIdASJZ-imjm44RuKbqhzEjoYmCA496Vg%3BFWaSZwIdJ1pY-ilzysbVbMXqhzEKwxkLMes1SA%3BFZwvaAId1H1Y-ikjzKY3xdrqhzF6dhNTpDBBRA%3BFa9DZgId2H9g-ild1uVxQ17qhzFk_H-rB9qkig%3BFe-pXQIdpCti-ilHmyVvgcXBhzFPm4HPEFAnYw%3BFRvEXgIdPRli-imvmfmZddDBhzEeQBGCPtBnuQ%3BFWqLYAIdbedj-ilPSL18EN_BhzG2lwYEDnz3_g%3BFbpaZAIdZA1k-in3uLbs9mzqhzEpGgaP98m3Zg%3BFWX7aAIdecll-ik_R6SfMTfqhzHmAa17uiNVmA%3BFff5aQIdwcVl-imlwIXXDjTqhzESo36wVheD8A%3BFZneawIdCtNn-imn51-0s9PrhzG7fIf6UR073w%3BFeTRcQIdH0xp-ilJ4hK1YOLrhzHsgBdnRI8Xtw%3BFa-_dwId22hs-ikdB5ljlrruhzF3TJmCR-vjmQ%3BFZpzewIdVsVr-ikLtkW0apruhzGlkeaP7jVSNA%3BFZJqfAIdRMVr-imjflpmSoXuhzF4H1JVojJjSw%3BFYVWfwIdqbNr-imDwSbmHn3uhzF7SQZA48AfTw%3BFflEggId-HZr-im_ZXbKgnHuhzHKyx0JgxXjHw%3BFamBhwIdRCpr-in_5YjXvwPuhzF_3_S-xTGnpQ%3BFflblAIdzzdr-imZ2wGqzmTxhzHhFRcVGa5Ttw%3BFVf6mQIdOvVu-ik9t8EqaDbxhzELinhBOSiO8g%3BFVmXnQIdEb18-inL7eI4slf3hzEm4GRlK6teXw&gl=us&mra=dpe&mrsp=11&sz=10&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23&t=m&z=10

Just not sure where to edit the URL to force classic, assuming it's possible.  And I am really hoping it's possible, as I have saved dozens of these.

Thanks.

For a while I've been using a direct link to get to Google Maps.  The link centers on my area at a certain zoom level I find suitable and opens in the classic version.  The link still works for me.
https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=32.3576289,-97.411016&z=8&output=classic&dg=opt

I copied your link and attached the &output=classic&dg=opt to the end, and it opened in the old version with 23 intermediate points.  The route follows US 69 as far north as US 20, and I-35 from there.  I'm not certain how to move it to the new version, but if it'll let you access the old one, you should be able to see it with this link
https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Court+St&daddr=40.378055,-96.1897753+to:39.8417258,-96.4052565+to:39.8124211,-94.8405036+to:39.9444098,-94.8218877+to:40.3421188,-94.8730497+to:40.382364,-94.863916+to:40.2564317,-94.339112+to:39.692783,-94.2295962+to:39.7650195,-94.2343071+to:39.8815783,-94.1159879+to:40.1312585,-94.1062682+to:40.4345337,-93.9925832+to:40.499703,-93.9935357+to:40.6237697,-93.8590626+to:41.0137328,-93.7625293+to:41.4022871,-93.5585651+to:41.644954,-93.6004267+to:41.7081783,-93.600444+to:41.8996533,-93.604951+to:42.0917698,-93.6204881+to:42.4349855,-93.640124+to:43.2773056,-93.6366574+to:43.6455278,-93.3915586+to:43.8818454,-92.4884643&hl=en&ll=40.113789,-95.906525&spn=0.928415,2.113495&sll=39.886558,-94.174805&sspn=0.93151,2.113495&geocode=FYNoZgId_MI7-g%3BFcceaAIdsUJE-imBFrschs6VhzEu5foKy1iZ7Q%3BFb3vXwId-PhA-inx-GEYfwCWhzGqSERlP1FASA%3BFUV9XwIdSdlY-ilpSPF1bxzAhzEuxHoIZOFbuw%3BFdmAYQIdASJZ-imjm44RuKbqhzEjoYmCA496Vg%3BFWaSZwIdJ1pY-ilzysbVbMXqhzEKwxkLMes1SA%3BFZwvaAId1H1Y-ikjzKY3xdrqhzF6dhNTpDBBRA%3BFa9DZgId2H9g-ild1uVxQ17qhzFk_H-rB9qkig%3BFe-pXQIdpCti-ilHmyVvgcXBhzFPm4HPEFAnYw%3BFRvEXgIdPRli-imvmfmZddDBhzEeQBGCPtBnuQ%3BFWqLYAIdbedj-ilPSL18EN_BhzG2lwYEDnz3_g%3BFbpaZAIdZA1k-in3uLbs9mzqhzEpGgaP98m3Zg%3BFWX7aAIdecll-ik_R6SfMTfqhzHmAa17uiNVmA%3BFff5aQIdwcVl-imlwIXXDjTqhzESo36wVheD8A%3BFZneawIdCtNn-imn51-0s9PrhzG7fIf6UR073w%3BFeTRcQIdH0xp-ilJ4hK1YOLrhzHsgBdnRI8Xtw%3BFa-_dwId22hs-ikdB5ljlrruhzF3TJmCR-vjmQ%3BFZpzewIdVsVr-ikLtkW0apruhzGlkeaP7jVSNA%3BFZJqfAIdRMVr-imjflpmSoXuhzF4H1JVojJjSw%3BFYVWfwIdqbNr-imDwSbmHn3uhzF7SQZA48AfTw%3BFflEggId-HZr-im_ZXbKgnHuhzHKyx0JgxXjHw%3BFamBhwIdRCpr-in_5YjXvwPuhzF_3_S-xTGnpQ%3BFflblAIdzzdr-imZ2wGqzmTxhzHhFRcVGa5Ttw%3BFVf6mQIdOvVu-ik9t8EqaDbxhzELinhBOSiO8g%3BFVmXnQIdEb18-inL7eI4slf3hzEm4GRlK6teXw&gl=us&mra=dpe&mrsp=11&sz=10&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23&t=m&z=10&output=classic&dg=opt

[Purgatory On Wheels]

I copied your link and attached the &output=classic&dg=opt to the end, and it opened in the old version with 23 intermediate points.

Sweet, that works.  Thanks!

[freebrickproductions]

Google Maps "Lite" actually works pretty well. The only things I don't like about it is that you can't default to satellite view and you can't view the old street view images. Other than that, it doesn't lag as much and loads things rather fast. If they implemented the ability to view old street view images or default the map view to satellite, I'd happily swap over to Google Maps Lite. Hell, when the old Google Maps disappears, I'll probably go to the "Lite" version.

A few more things to add onto what I said earlier about the "Lite" version:

• You can't directly link to street view images.
• You can't see what month and year the images were taken.
• Right-clicking the map will provide you with two options: directions to or from the locations you right-clicked.
• Street-view is also still somewhat laggy, but it doesn't seem to be any worse than on the "full" version or on "classic".

Still more functional than the full version, IMO though.

One more thing to add: You can now link directly to street view in Lite mode.

[stormwatch7721]

After I got the new full version. I wanted to go back to classic and it took me to lite mode. Is full or lite version better?

[Billy F 1988]

The Lite and full versions are different. The Lite version is the less-CPU intensive version of the current Gmaps generation, not the one from before. I mean, if you want to run Gmaps on your computer and not have it eat up bandwitdth and data, then I'd say run Lite, but remember, Lite is NOT Classic Gmaps. It's a less-CPU intensive substitute of the full version of the current Gmaps.

[NE2]

Lite eats memory too.

[US 41]

When I launched "Classic" earlier today at work via my 'favorites' link in the browser, it sent me right to the new maps.  There was no longer an option in "Help" to return to Classic.  Now at home, I can get back into Classic via the link, and the option has returned in the new maps as well.  Test run perhaps?

What happens when you type https://www.google.com/maps?output=classic directly into the search bar?

Surprisingly, this link still works.

[BigRedDog]

When I launched "Classic" earlier today at work via my 'favorites' link in the browser, it sent me right to the new maps.  There was no longer an option in "Help" to return to Classic.  Now at home, I can get back into Classic via the link, and the option has returned in the new maps as well.  Test run perhaps?

What happens when you type https://www.google.com/maps?output=classic directly into the search bar?

Surprisingly, this link still works.

Doesn't work here. It did before lunch (well, classic maps worked, anyway). But sometime since, I can only access new maps. Trying to switch back to classic only takes me to "lite" mode.

Crap.

[SignGeek101]

When I launched "Classic" earlier today at work via my 'favorites' link in the browser, it sent me right to the new maps.  There was no longer an option in "Help" to return to Classic.  Now at home, I can get back into Classic via the link, and the option has returned in the new maps as well.  Test run perhaps?

What happens when you type https://www.google.com/maps?output=classic directly into the search bar?

Surprisingly, this link still works.

Doesn't work here. It did before lunch (well, classic maps worked, anyway). But sometime since, I can only access new maps. Trying to switch back to classic only takes me to "lite" mode.

Crap.

Same, worked me for me earlier today, but no longer works. 

[wxfree]

The day of darkness is now upon me.  My link, given above, now redirects to the new version.

It's not as bad now as it had been.  It still assigns a web address every time the view changes, but I can use a private browsing window to keep it from filling my history.  Also, I can't turn off the labels in the aerial view.  Has anyone figured out how to do that?  Is it possible?  I don't like the automatic pop-ups from the place markers, or how the Street View guy falls below the circle that seems to be his target, but I can learn to live with those things.

I like the ability to see old Street View.  It's not all bad.  It's certainly worth a lot more than I pay for it, to keep it in perspective.

[corco]

Yep, just lost the old classic link , and with it my many links to google maps itineraries that had the maxed out number of route ticks.

[Billy F 1988]

Lite eats memory too.

Yes, Lite eats up memory, but not as much as the full blown version with all that gob smack slapped on top of it, unless you load about 100 Chrome tabs of the same thing, then, yeah, it'll chew it up like no one else. So when I said "less CPU-intensive", I didn't say it wouldn't eat up a lot of memory. You do prove a point that like the full version, Lite does it, too, just not as much as long as you don't force the dadgum thing to do a 100 things at once.

[corco]

STILL WORKS- hiding at this link:

https://www.google.com/lochp

[PHLBOS]

STILL WORKS- hiding at this link:

https://www.google.com/lochp

Thanks.  I've since bookmarked it in my Favorites.

[Dr Frankenstein]

If it won't run on a 64 bit Windows 7 installation then there's something wrong.

Is your Firefox up to date? My workplace still uses Firefox 15 and the new version has never worked on it, and the lite version didn't work until yesterday (now it does, although it's missing several handy features; it used to just redirect to the classic version until then).

[Roadrunner75]

STILL WORKS- hiding at this link:

https://www.google.com/lochp

Thanks.  I've since bookmarked it in my Favorites.

Here's another one that works too:
https://maps.google.com/maps?output=classi
(somewhat ironically, both found through Google search)  I guess it will be like whack-a-mole for awhile with Google disabling the various workarounds as they become public.

[Michael]

After the forced switch yesterday, I started playing around a bit to see what I could do since Lite Mode's Street View was choppy for me while panning, and I couldn't drag routes.  As much as I hate Flash, I have to say that the Flash Street View viewer was better.  I wanted to try Full Mode, but since I run Windows XP and Chrome 21 (there's some things I can't do with newer versions of Windows and Chrome), I couldn't.  I was able to use Full Mode by using Chrome's Developer Tools to spoof my user agent to IE9 on Windows 7, then using the button on the help page to force Full Mode.  The button links to https://www.google.com/maps/preview/?force=tt.  As I was proofreading this post, I found that that link also works without spoofing my user agent, but if I end the tab process, it goes to Lite Mode after clicking Reload.

Since I didn't want to go through that every time, I found an old version of User-Agent Switcher for Chrome at the developer's site, and installed it.  I used an old version since I need a newer version of Chrome to use the Web Store, and using http://chrome-extension-downloader.com to manually install extensions from the Web Store often gives me a broken extension since extensions work differently in newer versions of Chrome.

I ended up setting the domain google.com to be spoofed with Chrome 41.0.2228.0 on Windows 7 in the permanent spoof list.  This works, and even gives me smoother panning Street View.  The only bugs are that I can't use the scroll wheel, it seems to have a memory leak (I got to 900 MB or so after going to about half a dozen different Street View locations), and the font on the Full Mode popup defaults to Times New Roman.  Also, links redirect to Lite mode, but I can click the link in the Lite Mode popup to go back to Full Mode.  The only good things I've found so far are that you can go back to where you were if your browser crashes since the URL is always updating, and I can use Satellite view instead of being forced to load the Google Earth plugin.

As an aside, up until a few months ago, I was able to get the classic style of Google Maps with the darker colors and more yellow roads using https://www.google.com/maps?layer=c&t=m&z=16&source=embed&output=svembed.  I got the URL from an iframe using old embed code (now updated) on http://www.ustrafficcontrol.com.  The URL now gives me an error that the Embed API must be used in an iframe.  Since it's possible to enter HTML directly in Chrome's Omnibox, I tried it, and ended up having to give a height and width to make it big enough.  The URL I used was data:text/html, <iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps?layer=c&t=m&z=16&source=embed&output=svembed" width="1420" height="766"></iframe>.  My screen's resolution is 1440×900, so 1420×766 worked best for me.  It uses the new style of Maps with the brighter colors, but it's closer to Classic maps than Lite Mode.  Another thing I found while proofreading this post is that after going to the second link, the first link works but with the new style.  In any case, the only thing you can do is just browse the map.

To get even closer to classic Maps, there's always ACME Mapper.

[vdeane]

So now that the switch happened I finally understand what all this talk of being unable to drag routes, etc. in Lite mode is all about.  Looks like Google forgot that they had been previously been calling the tile-based version of the full maps "Lite mode" (now it's not called anything) when they were coming up for a name for this thing.

They really need to add back the additional points.  I now have a spreadsheet for work that's completely useless.  Looks like this is going to become an ArcGIS project to get those maps back, but the drive times are lost forever.

[Purgatory On Wheels]

Bing seems to support directions with large number of stops, BUT you can't save the directions.  You can save the URL or short URL that it provides, but for trips with many stops, clicking on or copy-pasting the link only brings up "That web page doesn't exist".  Mapquest handles the stops, but road locations are off, so when I enter a stop as lat/long from one of my old Google routings, it doesn't always put it on the same road.  But at least all my saved GMaps routings can be salvaged, albeit with some cleanup.

This page produced directions using Google Maps, and allowed for >20 stops earlier today, but at the moment was no longer working.  Posted in case they get it working again.
http://www.gebweb.net/optimap/