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Cloud-based maps styling allows you to customize the appearance of the default roadmap in your Google Maps Platform applications (Android, iOS, JavaScript, and Web Service) through the Google Cloud Console.
You can create and update map styles without needing to change your application code, making it easier to maintain a consistent brand experience across platforms.
Cloud-based maps styling offers a vast range of customization options for nearly 100 map features, providing granular control over colors, visibility, and labels for elements like roads, buildings, points of interest, and more.
Map styles are associated with map IDs, enabling you to apply the same style across different applications and platforms by using the corresponding map ID.
Once a map style is downloaded and cached, subsequent map loads and interactions are faster, providing a smoother user experience.

Select platform: Android iOS JavaScript Web Service

Paid feature: Features accessed by adding a map ID triggers a map load charged against the Dynamic Maps SKU for Android and iOS. See Google Maps Billing for more information.

Features in this document marked with the science icon are in Preview (Pre-GA).

Customize and update the road map experience for your users without updating your apps' code or reload the map. With the Google Maps Platform cloud-based maps styling in the Google Cloud console, you can select colors and set visibility for features. This applies to both light and dark modes for the following map types:

roadmap
navigation
hybrid
terrain
3D roadmap
3D hybrid

The changes you make can be reflected across all of your JavaScript, iOS, and Android apps.

Note: When customizing map styles in the Navigation SDK, you must adhere to the policies regarding acceptable modifications to the navigation UI. For more information, see the customize map styles overview for the Navigation SDK for Android and the Navigation SDK for iOS.

For information on other ways to customize your map, see Customize Maps.

Why use cloud-based maps styling

With cloud-based maps styling, you can create more engaging and informative maps and update them without code changes:

More map features: Customize almost 100 individual map features, in four categories. Points of interest includes features such as Entertainment, Recreation, and Services, which each also have several child features. For example, Services includes ATM, Bank, Gas station, and Restroom. For the full list, see What you can style on a map.
More ways to customize maps: Cloud-based maps styling makes it easier and more intuitive for you to style your map. Recent updates give you more granular control over the look and feel of the basemap with labels and geometries not previously available for map features. For example, you can customize labels applied to tourist attractions, restaurants, recreational areas, emergency services, retail, and more.
Maps load quickly after the first use: After the initial startup time as a map style is downloaded and cached, subsequent views and pan/zoom movement of the map are faster.
Seamless switching between map modes and map types: Customize styles for light and dark modes, apply those styles across various map types, and switch between them without having to reload the tiles.
Improved map style editor interface: Map settings let you define map style properties, such as building and landmark styles and POI density levels. Styleable elements are all shown on a single panel, giving you more visible map area when making customizations. Find your map feature with more intuitive categories that expand and collapse, plus a filter box to scope the list to the map feature you need. You can also click anywhere on the map and see what features you can style at that location using the map inspector.

What can you do with cloud-based maps styling

You can do the following with cloud-based maps styling:

Use a no-code style editor: A designer can create and preview a style to match your goals and branding without needing to code.
Change styles without code changes: Draft and test map style changes without any changes to your code once the map ID is in place.
Style more map features: Change the visibility and color of more map features, such as roads, buildings, bodies of water, points of interest, and transit routes.

How cloud-based maps styling works

Map styles are stored and edited in the Google Maps Platform Cloud Console. Your application uses a map ID to request a map style from the cloud console, and then applies it to your application. You can have several map IDs associated with the same map style, so your maps can look the same across your application platforms.

[Graphic showing the same map style used for JavaScript, iOS, and Android applications using a map ID]

How to use cloud-based maps styling

1	Get started	Head over to Get started and set up, and then check out the Tutorial.
2	Create a cloud-based map style	See Create and use map styles.
3	Associate your map style with a map ID	Create or open a map ID for your application type, and assign a map style to it. You can create additional map IDs for applications on other platforms and assign the same map style to them. For details, see Associate or remove map IDs on your style.
4	Add the map ID to your application	Your maps then use the map style associated with that map ID. For details, see Add the map ID to your map.
5	Adjust your map style online	Whenever you need to change your map style, edit it in cloud styling. For details, see Update a map style.
6	Publish your changed map style	When you're ready to update a map style, publish it, and your new map style shows up in your application. For details, see Publish a map style.

What's next

Try out the Tutorial.
Check out cloud styling application requirements. See Application requirements.

Except as otherwise noted, the content of this page is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License, and code samples are licensed under the Apache 2.0 License. For details, see the Google Developers Site Policies. Java is a registered trademark of Oracle and/or its affiliates.

Last updated 2026-08-19 UTC.

Need to tell us more? [[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Missing the information I need","missingTheInformationINeed","thumb-down"],["Too complicated / too many steps","tooComplicatedTooManySteps","thumb-down"],["Out of date","outOfDate","thumb-down"],["Samples / code issue","samplesCodeIssue","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2026-08-19 UTC."],[],["Cloud-based map styling in Google Maps Platform allows customization of the default `roadmap` view for Android, iOS, and JavaScript applications. Key actions include creating map styles via a no-code editor, associating them with map IDs, and implementing these IDs into applications. This enables style changes without code updates. Users can customize nearly 100 features, including points of interest, labels, and geometries. The process involves getting started, creating styles, linking them to map IDs, and adding the ID to apps. Subsequent map views are quicker after the first load.\n"]]