Looking for a place to charge your phone or a nearby tennis court? A new Gemini-powered “Ask Maps” button in Google Maps can help you get there via 3D navigation.
When available, the Ask Maps button will appear below the Search bar in Google Maps. The company touts its latest addition as “a new conversational experience that answers complex, real-world questions a map could never answer before.”
Tapping Ask Maps opens a chat interface familiar to Gemini users. Google says you can ask the chatbot 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?”
You can also ask the AI to prepare an itinerary for your upcoming trip, and it will respond with details like directions, ETAs, and tips from users on how to explore a hidden gem, the best route to take, or ways to get free tickets.
(Credit: Google)
Ask Maps taps into your Google Maps search and save history to provide personalized responses. If you search for a restaurant, for example, it may recommend vegan options if your past searches and saved places indicate that preference.
Each response option will include photos of the place, an AI-generated summary of user reviews, opening hours, and options to save the location or get directions. You can also share Ask Maps’s response with friends and family before deciding.
Drive Across Town With Immersive 3D Navigation
(Credit: Google)
The other new Maps addition is supports for Immersive Navigation, which Google describes as the “biggest update in over a decade.” It gives you a 3D view of the buildings, overpasses, and terrain around you; video demos make it look like you’re in a driving game.
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One notable detail is how the map handles turns around buildings. If the road curves behind a building, the structure becomes translucent, allowing you to clearly see the road ahead. The feature also highlights lanes, crosswalks, traffic lights, and stop signs for turns and merges.
Immersive Navigation was built using Gemini models, aerial photos, and imagery from Street View, Google says.
Alongside these updates, Google updated its voice guidance to sound more natural. It may say things like, “Go past this exit and take the next one for Illinois 43 South.”
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With an update to Street View, you can also look for parking spots around your destination before starting a trip. The feature can also inform you about the building’s entrance and the side you should park on.
Maps will also inform you about the consequences of taking an alternate route. Additionally, it will alert you about the disruptions, such as road closures or crashes, in real time.
Both Ask Maps and Immersive Navigation begin rolling out to users today. The Ask Maps button will first roll out to mobile users in the US and India before making its debut on desktop. Though Google didn’t specify, the rollout may be gradual. We couldn’t spot the button immediately on the iOS app.
Immersive Navigation, on the other hand, will be limited to users in the US at launch. It will expand to eligible users on iOS, Android, CarPlay, Android Auto, and cars with Google built-in in the coming months.
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Jibin is a tech news writer based out of Ahmedabad, India. Previously, he served as the editor of iGeeksBlog and is a self-proclaimed tech enthusiast who loves breaking down complex information for a broader audience.
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