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ZDNET's key takeaways
- Google Maps is introducing two new features.
- Ask Gemini lets you find answers conversationally.
- Immersive Navigation provides a totally new driving view.
Google Maps just got a huge upgrade, and it might be one of the biggest ever.
In a recent post, Google detailed two features — Ask Gemini and Immersive Navigation. The first lets you find answers to questions with AI, while the second provides a totally new driving experience.
Also: 41 hidden Google Maps settings and features every power user should know
The Ask Gemini feature works as you'd expect if you've encountered any of the other times Google has injected its AI into products. Instead of searching through Google for specific information, you can ask Maps conversational questions such:
- “Is there a public tennis court with lights on that I can play at tonight?”
- “Where can I charge my phone without having to wait in a long line for coffee?”
- “I'm driving to the Grand Canyon, show me some cool places to stop along the way.”
To use the new feature, tap the “Ask Maps” button and get your questions answered conversationally, with a customized map to help you visualize your options. Google says your answers will include clear directions, estimated arrival times, insider tips from real reviews, and more. These answers will only include info from Google Maps, and not from other services like Gmail.
A new view With Immersive Navigation
The most impactful upgrade, though, is one that Google is calling “the biggest update in over a decade.” Not only are visuals totally revamped, but voice guidance is much more intuitive.
On the visual front, instead of the traditional flat overhead view, Immersive Navigation gives you a 3D view that shows buildings, overpasses, and terrain. When it's helpful, Google adds, Maps will highlight road details like lanes, traffic lights, and stop signs. The new spatial view is generated from a combination of Street View imagery and aerial photos, which Gemini analyzes to create a full picture.
Also: Google's Gemini 3.1 Pro is here, and it just doubled its reasoning score
If you've ever failed to properly navigate a complex interchange with overlapping roads, you can see how this new view could be helpful. I know there are a few notoriously bad exits in my city where I've struggled to find the right exit, even using Maps.
Google explains that the upgrade goes beyond a new view and includes features like smart zooms and transparent buildings to help you prepare for tricky turns and lane changes, as well as an updated voice guidance that's more natural. For example, instead of “Take exit 3A,” you might now hear “Go past this exit and take the next one onto North Davidson Street.”
If traffic, weather conditions, or other hazards change, Maps will show you alternate routes and explain why it recommends them.
Both features will roll out over the next two weeks on iOS and Android devices, as well as CarPlay, Android Auto, and cars with Google built in.
