Google announced that it is rolling out the biggest navigation update to Google Maps in a decade, which, of course, revolves around AI features powered by Gemini models. One of the highlights is the new Ask Maps feature, which offers a chatbot-like experience in Google Maps.
As the name suggests, Ask Maps can take complex, real-world questions in natural language and generate custom responses based on real-time information. It includes relevant photos, route visualizations, and analyzes information from Google"s massive database of over 300 million places and community reviews from over 500 million contributors. For instance, you can ask, “My phone is dying — where can I charge it without having to wait in a long line for coffee?”
Google said the chatbot personalizes its responses based on your saved items in Maps and what you have searched for in the past. It knows your food preferences when searching for nearby restaurants. You can book restaurant reservations, save suggested places to a list, or share them with others.
The feature is similar to the Ask Photos assistant that the search giant added to the Photos app a while ago. It adds to the growing list of AI features in Google Maps, including the recently added Gemini for walking and navigation. Ask Maps is now rolling out to Android and iOS users in the US and India, with the web version on the way.
Google Maps has long been a pain because it can"t distinguish between elevated flyovers and the ground-level roads beneath them. Google is updating its navigation experience with a new feature called Immersive Navigation, which builds on the existing Google Maps feature called Immersive View from a couple of years ago.
Its latest update includes redesigned visuals in a 3D view that highlight critical road features, including lanes, crosswalks, and terrain. Voice guidance has been updated to sound more natural, and buildings become transparent as you move to navigate those tricky turns or lane changes.
When suggesting alternative routes, Maps will also inform you of the trade-offs, such as whether an alternative route is longer with less traffic or faster with a toll. Google will use community-powered updates to alert about real-time disruptions along the route.
Immersive Navigation will also preview your destination and surroundings using Street View and offer parking recommendations. It will highlight a building"s main entrance and which side of the road to take as you approach the destination.
Google said that the feature has started rolling out in the US, adding that its availability will expand in the coming months to eligible Android/iOS devices, CarPlay, Android Auto, and cars with Google built-in.