Google Maps gets Gemini AI upgrade with 'Ask Maps' conversational feature

At the centre of the update is 'Ask Maps,' a new feature powered by Google's latest Gemini AI models that allows users to ask complex, natural-language questions about places and travel plans directly inside the Maps app. The feature is rolling out now on Android and iOS devices in the United States and India.

The launch was highlighted by Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who shared details on X about the integration of Gemini into Google Maps and described it as a major step toward more intelligent navigation tools.

https://x.com/sundarpichai/status/2032117173750284637?s=20

With 'Ask Maps', Google Maps shifts from simple location searches to a more conversational experience. Users can tap the 'Ask Maps' button and interact with the app through a chat-style interface similar to Gemini.

Instead of searching one location at a time, users can ask nuanced questions such as finding "the best three-hour family hikes with a place to stop for lunch," locating a charging spot when a phone battery is low, or identifying public tennis courts with lighting available for night play, as per Google.

According to the Google blog, the feature relies on a vast dataset that includes information from over 300 million places worldwide and insights from more than 500 million contributors.

By combining this data with Gemini's AI capabilities, Google Maps can generate personalised recommendations and visualise them directly on the map.

Users planning road trips can also ask for suggestions along multi-stop routes.

The new feature could recommend stops along the way, returning directions, estimated arrival times and suggestions sourced from community insights.

'Ask Maps' also connects planning to action. Once a destination is selected, users can book reservations, save places to lists, share them with friends or immediately begin navigation.

Alongside Ask Maps, Google has introduced Immersive Navigation, described as the biggest update to the app's driving and route guidance experience in over ten years.

Powered by Gemini models, the feature generates realistic 3D views of roads and surroundings by combining Street View imagery with aerial photos and AI processing. The system recreates buildings, overpasses, crosswalks, traffic lights and landmarks to provide a clearer sense of the route ahead.

The goal is to make navigation feel closer to real-world driving conditions and reduce confusion at complex intersections. Maps can also highlight lane guidance, show upcoming turns more clearly and help drivers prepare for merges or exits earlier.

Additional improvements include broader route previews, updated voice guidance that sounds more conversational, and clearer explanations of alternate route options such as faster toll routes or longer routes with less traffic.

Immersive Navigation is beginning its rollout in the United States, initially focusing on walking and cycling navigation, with broader expansion planned in the coming months across Android and iOS devices, as well as vehicle platforms like CarPlay and Android Auto, as per Google.

According to Google, combining the company's mapping data with Gemini's AI models fundamentally changes what a digital map can do.

By turning exploration into a conversation and visualising routes in realistic 3D environments, the company aims to make everyday planning, from road trips to local errands, more intuitive and less stressful.

For users in India and the United States, the update is already appearing in the Google Maps app, marking what Google calls the beginning of a new era in AI-powered navigation. (ANI)