Google has introduced a major update to Maps, combining new Gemini features with navigation. The service has learned to respond to complex location queries in a conversational format and received a major update to the driver mode with 3D route visualization.
Google has introduced a major update to Maps, combining new Gemini features with navigation. The service has learned to respond to complex location queries in a conversational format and received a major update to the driver mode with 3D route visualization.
According to Google, the Ask Maps feature has appeared in Maps. It allows you to search for places not only by name or category, but also by common phrases, like in a chat. For example, a user can ask to find a location where you can charge your phone without a queue, or a lighted tennis court for a game in the evening. In response, the service shows not just a list of points, but a ready-made selection on the map with explanations why these options are suitable for the request.
Google says Ask Maps will also help with trip planning. If a person is planning to visit several places, the service will be able to suggest stops along the way, suggest travel times, and find useful recommendations. To do this, Maps uses information about more than 300 million places and reviews from more than 500 million users. Answers will also be personalized based on saved places and previous searches.
The second part of the update concerns drivers. Google calls Immersive Navigation the biggest update to Maps navigation in over a decade. The route will feature a three-dimensional 3D image with buildings, overpasses and terrain, as well as highlighting important road details: lanes, crossings, traffic lights and stop signs. This should help you better navigate before difficult turns, exits and reconstructions.
In addition to the new look, Google has also redesigned the directions themselves. Maps will show a broader overview of the route, explain the difference between alternative road options, warn about repairs and accidents, and at the end of the trip will suggest where the entrance to the building is and where it is more convenient to park the car.
Ask Maps has already launched in the US and India on Android and iOS, with a desktop version coming later. Immersive Navigation will launch in the US, after which it will gradually open to compatible iOS and Android devices, as well as CarPlay, Android Auto, and cars with built-in Google services.
Previously, dev.ua wrote about how Google Maps is adding new AI features, including a designer agent and MCP server — a tool that connects AI assistants to Google Maps technical documentation — to help developers and users create interactive projects using Maps data and code.
