[Wyverald]

> It's because it's designed to be used in Directions mode with location services enabled, and only in Directions mode with location services enabled.

If you don't provide a source for this, I'm going to call bullshit.

Screenshot of desktop Google Maps without sign-in: http://prnt.sc/d4j744

Screenshot of Android Google Maps without sign-in: http://prnt.sc/d4jwdy

Both look full of street names to me.

[andai]

Here you go!

https://www.justinobeirne.com/essay/what-happened-to-google-...

it was on HN a few months ago

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11604387

[taneq]

The maps on the right in this article are a pretty good approximation to what I get on my last and current phones. It only touches briefly on street names and other labels but the dramatic reduction is clearly visible.

[cbr]

taneq was saying that Google Maps now shows very few street names, but your link doesn't talk about street names, and is about city names instead.

(Disclosure: I work for Google, on unrelated stuff.)

[obsurveyor]

I have Location turned off on my phone and have had Location History by Google turned off for ages. Google Maps on my Galaxy S6 looks like the desktop screenshot.