- Google Maps is getting a huge update.
- The new “Immersive Navigation” mode brings a real 3D map with buildings, crosswalks, and stop lights.
- Google’s Gemini AI is also being integrated into Maps, enabling drivers to ask questions about their trip.
Popular GPS navigation app Google Maps is getting a big overhaul, with two features headlining the update. First, the new “Immersive Navigation” mode introduces a detailed 3D map that includes buildings, overpasses, crosswalks, traffic lanes, traffic lights, and stop signs.
Google bills this new mode as being “the most significant update in over a decade” to the app’s driving experience. According to the American IT giant, the changes should help drivers stay focused and informed on the road, with Maps giving fresh, real-world information and natural directions.
Photo by: Google
The visual overhaul is made possible with help from Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence models, which analyze real-world imagery from Street View and aerial photos to give an accurate view of objects along a route, like medians and landmarks.
In addition to the way Maps will now look when navigating to a destination, Google is giving its popular app a few new features. Using smart zooms and transparent buildings, the app will show drivers more of their route to help them prepare for their next move. The voice guidance is also improved to sound more natural, providing audible directions “like a friend,” according to Google.
Maps will now alert drivers in real-time about disruptions along their route, while also informing them about trade-offs for alternative routes, like a longer trip with less traffic or a faster one with a toll. Moreover, drivers will be able to visualize their destination before heading out, with Street View imagery and recommendations for parking. When the destination is near, Maps will highlight the building’s entrance and which side of the street to be on.
Google Maps’ new Immersive Navigation mode is rolling out now across the United States. In the coming months, it will become available to eligible iOS and Android devices, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and cars with Google built-in.
But that’s not all. Google is also integrating its Gemini AI assistant into Maps, so drivers can start a conversation with the GPS navigation app. The company said users can ask questions like, “My phone is dying–where can I charge it without having to wait in a long line for coffee?” or “Is there a public tennis court with lights on that I can play at tonight?”
The app will then come up with a personalized map to help visualize the search results without having to manually research places. The same thing should work for trip planning, with questions like, “I’m headed to the Grand Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, and Coral Dunes–any recommended stops along the way?”
The company said that results are personalized based on what a person has previously searched for or saved in Maps.
The new conversational feature, called Ask Maps, is rolling out now in the U.S. and India on Android and iOS devices, with the desktop browser version coming soon.
