What you need to know
- Google Maps now features Immersive View in five major Canadian cities: Montreal, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, and Edmonton.
- Immersive View transforms flat photos into 3D images of landmarks and buildings using AI, providing a vivid preview.
- It adds details like weather, traffic, and crowd levels, and lets users virtually explore buildings and nearby restaurants.
Google has updated its Maps platform in Canada with a nifty update for city explorers. Now live in five of the country’s biggest cities, this update brings a new level of immersive navigation.
In a blog post, Google shared that Immersive View is now live in Montreal, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, and Edmonton. Powered by AI, it transforms flat photos into 3D images of landmarks, restaurants, and certain buildings.
Launched in February of last year, the feature first rolled out in a few cities like London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Tokyo.
Immersive View helps you plan your trips and get a better feel for a city before you even get there. It combines billions of Street View and aerial photos to create a detailed digital model of an area.
The feature also adds extra details to the digital model, like weather, traffic, and how crowded a place might be. For example, if you’re planning a trip to the Montreal Forum, Immersive View lets you fly over the building virtually to check out its appearance and entrance locations. Additionally, it can point out nearby restaurants and even let you look inside them to decide if they’re a good fit for your plans.
To give it a try, open Google Maps and search for a popular spot like the CN Tower in Toronto. For supported landmarks, you’ll see an “Immersive View” card pop up on the left; just tap it to start exploring. If you want to see how the place looks at different times of day or in various weather conditions, tap on “Time & Weather” and slide the bottom bar left or right.
Despite the undeniable appeal of Immersive View, many users find it challenging to identify which landmarks are compatible with this feature. The lack of a comprehensive list makes it difficult for virtual explorers to fully utilize this innovative tool. A comprehensive list of supported locations would greatly benefit those eager to dive into virtual exploration.
