Get ready to start seeing “Gemini is my copilot” bumper stickers. On Thursday, Google announced that it is reconfiguring its Maps app around its AI assistant Gemini, which will now be able to answer your questions while on the road via the new “Ask Maps” feature.
The feature, accessed via a new “Ask Maps” button, is meant to turn Maps into a sort of concierge for the car, allowing users to ask conversational-style questions and get specific answers. In a blog post announcing the feature, Google offered a few examples 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?”
Gemini, using the wealth of user-submitted data and information from the web and businesses themselves that Google has collected over the years about businesses and destinations, should be able to wrangle up an answer. In theory, it should certainly be more convenient than having to keyword search through user reviews to see if anyone has mentioned the information you’re after—especially if you’re asking while on the road. Google claims it has amassed information from over 300 million locations, including reviews from more than 500 million contributors.
Google will also be tapping into the information that it knows about you, of course. (You might recall that Google also recently introduced an opt-in feature for Gemini called “Personal Intelligence” that pulls information from your search history and photo library, among other you-specific sources.) According to the company, results are personalized based on your past destinations and searches. So if you frequent vegan restaurants and you ask Google Maps, “My friends are coming from Midtown East to meet me after work, any spots with a cozy aesthetic and a table for 4 at 7 tonight?” the app will default to highlighting spots with vegan options on the menu.
The other big update to Google Maps is an overhaul of the navigation interface. Google is giving the layout of the road a 3D overhaul, basically unflattening the world as visualized in maps to more accurately reflect features like buildings, overpasses, and terrain. It’ll also display notable safety items like crosswalks, traffic lights, and stop signs to give a better picture of what is ahead of you.
Voice guidance is getting an update, too, to offer easier-to-understand instructions. If you’re getting off a highway in two exits, Maps might say, “Go past this exit and take the next one for Illinois 43 South.” Google claimed it’ll also add more clarity around the “final mile” of a trip, highlighting things like building entrances, nearby parking, and which side of the street to be on.
Per Google, Ask Maps is out now in the U.S. and India on Android and iOS, with the feature arriving on desktop in the near future. Immersive Navigation seems like it’ll be a slower rollout, as the company said it’ll be available in the coming months for “eligible” iOS and Android devices, as well as on CarPlay and Android Auto.
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