- Google Maps just got two big upgrades that roll out today in the US
- ‘Ask Maps’ is a conversational assistant that answers very specific questions
- Google is also giving drivers the app’s “biggest update in over a decade”
The Google Maps vs Waze debate continues to rumble on, but Maps has just been given two huge upgrades that could help extend its lead as the world’s best all-round navigation app.
The first, called ‘Ask Maps’, is the Gemini-powered, conversational experience for travelers that’s felt inevitable for a few years. Google is also calling its other new feature, called ‘Immersive Navigation’, its “biggest navigation upgrade in over a decade”.
For pedestrians and travelers, the most exciting new feature is ‘Ask Maps’. This new tab sits very prominently below the app’s search box and is like a Maps-specific version of Gemini that can answer very detailed travel questions.
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Some example questions Google provided in a demo included “My phone is dying — where can I charge it without having to wait in a long line for coffee?” and “Is there a public tennis court with lights on that I can play at tonight?” In other words, this is more than just a rehash of existing Google Maps tabs and information — it could potentially prove very useful if it works as well as it did in the demos.
Google says that ‘Ask Maps’ can also create full travel itineraries based on its information from over 300 millions places and 500 million contributors. For example, you could say “I’m headed to the Grand Canyon, Horseshoe Bend and Coral Dunes — any recommended stops along the way?”
A detail that could prove controversial for some is that your ‘Ask Maps’ results are personalized. They’ll be based on places you’ve searched for or also saved in Google Maps.
But Google was keen to ward off any privacy concerns, with the Miriam Daniel, VP & GM for Google Maps, stating in a briefing that “it’s not linking to any of the other apps or any of your other data”. ‘Ask Maps’ is rolling out now in the US and India on Android and iOS, with desktop coming soon — Google wouldn’t comment on a global rollout.
A ‘complete transformation’ of Maps navigation
If you’re a driver who regularly uses Google Maps to get around cities, then the new ‘Immersive Navigation’ mode might be more up your street.
Like a cross between ‘Immersive View’ and traditional Google Maps navigation, the visual side of the update brings a new 3D view that adds transparent buildings and overpasses to give you more context, alongside crosswalks, traffic lights and more. Google says this view was pre-trained using Gemini and real-world info from Street View and aerial photos.
‘Immersive navigation’ looks particularly helpful for city driving, but there are also functional changes. Google says ‘smart zooms’ will help you plan ahead for tricky junctions, while voice navigation will apparently be more natural.
Google Maps will also give you more information about the trade-offs of alternative routes, and you’ll also get the option to preview your destination with Street View imagery. That’s another cross-Google collaboration that feels like it could have happened years ago.
The bad news for anyone who lives outside the US is that ‘Immersive Navigation’ is only rolling out today in the States. It also won’t come to everyone initially, with Google promising that it “will expand over the coming months to eligible iOS and Android devices’, CarPlay, Android Auto and cars with Google built-in.
Analysis: Impressive upgrades, but not for everyone
Both of these Google Maps upgrades look very useful on paper — and rivals like Apple Maps may struggle to compete with its combination of new AI smarts and the wealth of information available in the likes of ‘Ask Maps’.
However, there are still concerns that could see some sticking to alternative apps. For starters, we don’t yet know how well ‘Ask Maps’ works in the real world. But some will also raise trust and privacy questions.
When asked about whether the results in ‘Ask Maps’ could one day include ads or paid placements, Google didn’t rule that out. “I can’t really speculate on where we’re going to go long-term, though for now we are really focused on just providing the best possible experience in ‘Ask Maps’, so monetization and payment does not impact where things are appearing within that experience,” said Andrew Duchi (Product Director, Google Maps).
The personalization aspect of ‘Ask Maps’ could also put off some users. Google said that it doesn’t use information from other apps like Gmail to refine its results. “It’s mostly focused on searches you might have done in the past in Maps or in search that are specific to places that you might be interested in. It focuses on things you have saved in Maps or as a list,” said Miriam Daniel (VP & GM for Google Maps).
That will be a fair trade-off for many, but others could still prefer the more traditional approach of Apple Maps — and lots of drivers do still prefer the Google-owned Waze over Google Maps. Talking of which, Google added that its new route-finding features are using a combination of Maps and Waze community data.
“Behind the scenes, much like Gemini is powering many of our capabilities, Waze and Google Maps have a shared driver community to bring real-time info to the map. So the two are working together in terms of the data we’re serving”, added Rosa Wu (Product Director, Google Maps).
Whichever side of the privacy fence you’re on, we’ll be testing the two big Google Maps upgrades soon to give your our first impressions.
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