Android Auto already does the basics well. It shows my route, plays my music, reads my messages, and keeps the phone out of my hand while I drive.
But it never felt truly smart to me until I started using Gemini inside Google Maps. This is where Android Auto moves beyond simple navigation.
It’s one of those features that sounds minor on paper, but when I used it during actual drives, Android Auto felt more modern, proactive, and useful.
Using Gemini with Google Keep, Maps, and WhatsApp
This was the moment Android Auto started feeling smart to me.
I was driving and needed to visit a hospital, but I didn’t remember the exact name. I only knew that I had saved it somewhere in Google Keep.
Normally, this would mean opening Keep, finding the note, copying the hospital name, switching to Google Maps, starting navigation, and then jumping to WhatsApp to send my ETA.
Now, that’s too much work when I am already behind the wheel. Instead, I gave Gemini on command.
I asked it to find the hospital name from Google Keep, take me there, and send my ETA to Parth on WhatsApp.
Gemini pulled up Shivani Care Clinic from my note, started navigation in Google Maps, and then asked whether it should send the ETA to Parth on WhatsApp.
I confirmed it, and that was it. It handled three jobs across three apps without making me touch my phone.
Google Keep found the saved detail, Google Maps handled the route, and WhatsApp took care of the update.
This is exactly the kind of connected experience I expect from Android Auto.
Quiz
Google Maps and its history
Trivia challenge
From humble startup to world navigator — how well do you know the story
behind Google Maps?
HistoryFeaturesAcquisitionsNavigationMilestones
What company originally developed the technology that became Google Maps?
That’s right! Where 2 Technologies, a small Sydney-based startup,
created the mapping engine that Google acquired in October 2004. The founders, Lars and Jens Rasmussen,
went on to lead the Google Maps team and later co-founded Google Wave.
Not quite. The answer is Where 2 Technologies, an Australian startup
acquired by Google in 2004. You might have been thinking of Keyhole Inc., which Google also acquired
around the same time — but Keyhole’s tech became Google Earth, not Google Maps.
In what year did Google Maps officially launch to the public?
Correct! Google Maps launched publicly in February 2005, initially only
for the United States. It debuted as a web application and quickly stood out for its smooth drag-and-pan
interface, which was revolutionary compared to competitors at the time.
Not quite — Google Maps launched in February 2005. It may seem like it
has been around forever, but 2005 was when the public first got access. Google had been working on the
underlying technology since acquiring Where 2 Technologies in late 2004.
Which Google Maps feature, launched in 2007, allows users to explore street-level
panoramic imagery?
Spot on! Street View launched in May 2007, initially covering five US
cities. Google used specially equipped cars fitted with cameras to capture 360-degree imagery, and the
feature has since expanded to cover roads, trails, and interiors across the globe.
The correct answer is Street View, launched in 2007. Live View is
actually a more recent AR walking navigation feature, while Google Earth View is a separate experience.
Street View remains one of the most ambitious and recognizable features Google has ever built.
Google acquired Waze in 2013 for approximately how much money?
Correct! Google acquired the Israeli navigation app Waze for
approximately $1.1 billion in June 2013. It was one of Google’s largest acquisitions at the time, and
the deal was highly competitive — both Apple and Facebook were reportedly also in talks to buy Waze.
The actual price was around $1.1 billion. The Waze acquisition in 2013
was notable not just for its size but for the fierce bidding war it sparked, with Apple and Facebook
reportedly competing against Google. Waze has continued to operate as a separate app since the
acquisition.
Which feature did Google Maps introduce in 2020 to help users navigate public
transit while tracking COVID-19 crowding?
Well done! In 2020, Google Maps added live busyness and transit
crowdedness information to help users avoid packed buses and trains during the pandemic. The feature
used aggregated and anonymized data to show how busy a transit vehicle was in real time.
The correct answer is live busyness and transit crowdedness, introduced
in 2020. This was one of several pandemic-era updates Google pushed to Maps to help people make safer
travel decisions. Google also added COVID-19 layer information showing case trends by region around the
same period.
Before being integrated into Google Maps, what was the name of the product that
powered Google Earth?
Correct! The product was called EarthViewer 3D, developed by Keyhole
Inc. Google acquired Keyhole in October 2004 and rebranded the software as Google Earth in 2005. The
CIA’s venture capital arm, In-Q-Tel, had previously invested in Keyhole before Google came along.
The answer is EarthViewer 3D, made by Keyhole Inc. before Google
acquired the company in 2004. TerraServer was actually a real Microsoft project that predated Google
Earth, but Keyhole’s EarthViewer was the direct predecessor. The CIA had also invested in Keyhole,
making it one of the more colorful backstories in Google’s acquisition history.
What is the name of Google Maps’ augmented reality walking navigation feature that
overlays directions onto the real world through your phone’s camera?
That’s right! Live View uses augmented reality to overlay directional
arrows and street names onto your phone’s camera feed, making it much easier to orient yourself at busy
intersections. Google first demoed the feature at Google I/O 2018 and rolled it out more broadly in 2019
and 2020.
The correct answer is Live View, Google’s AR walking navigation tool. It
was first shown off at Google I/O 2018 and uses a combination of Street View data and your device’s
camera to figure out exactly where you’re standing and which way you’re facing, then overlays directions
in real time.
Approximately how many users does Google Maps have worldwide as of the early 2020s,
making it one of the most used apps on the planet?
Correct! Google Maps has surpassed 1 billion monthly active users, a
milestone Google confirmed around 2021. That makes it one of only a handful of apps ever to reach that
threshold, sitting alongside the likes of YouTube, WhatsApp, and Instagram in that elite club.
The answer is approximately 1 billion monthly active users, a milestone
Google confirmed in the early 2020s. While 2 billion might seem plausible given Google’s scale, Maps
sits at around 1 billion — still an extraordinary number that reflects how deeply embedded it has become
in daily life across the world.
Your Score
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Thanks for playing!
Using Gemini with Maps and Messages
Another moment that sold me on Gemini in Android Auto was when I asked it to plan a quick drive to Suvali Beach. Again, this wasn’t a simple ‘take me there’ command.
I asked Gemini to navigate to Suvali Beach, find Punjabi restaurants nearby, and send the details to Sonal on WhatsApp.
That one command would normally involve multiple steps.
I would have to open Google Maps, search for Suvali Beach, start navigation, look for restaurants near the destination, filter the options, and then share details on Messages.
Gemini handled the entire flow like a pro. It understood that I wanted navigation first, restaurant suggestions next, and then a Messages update for Sonal.
I wasn’t asking for directions. I was asking Gemini to understand the bigger plan around the drive.
Gemini turned a pizza craving into a grocery run
This is the kind of Android Auto workflow that made me realize Gemini isn’t just replacing Google Assistant.
I was planning to make a Margherita pizza, and instead of juggling multiple apps before leaving, I gave Gemini one simple command.
I asked it to create a list of ingredients for Margherita pizza in Google Tasks and then navigate me to a nearby grocery store.
Normally, I would have handled this in two separate steps. First, I would search for a basic ingredient list, add the same in Tasks, and open Maps to take me to a nearby store.
None of that is difficult, but it is the kind of small friction that adds up, especially when I am about to drive.
Gemini removed that friction completely. It understood the recipe context, created the grocery list in Tasks, and started navigating to a nearby store through Google Maps.
By the time I reached the store, the list was already waiting for me in Tasks. I didn’t have to remember anything or retype anything in the parking lot.
Gemini made my route feel more complete
In another situation, I asked Gemini to take me to Milestone Pristine, find a fuel stop on my route, and play my driving playlist on YouTube Music.
That one command covered almost everything I usually do before starting a longer drive.
Gemini handled the entire sequence smoothly. It started navigation to Milestone Pristine, looked for a fuel stop along the way, and fired up my driving playlist in YouTube Music.
I didn’t have to break the request into three separate commands. That’s the part I liked the most.
Gemini understood the destination, the route requirement, and the entertainment part of the drive in one go.
A tiny trick with big impact
Gemini in Google Maps is exactly the kind of upgrade Android Auto needed. It doesn’t just answer basic commands or start navigation anymore.
It connects the dots between where I am going, what I need to do on the way, and which app can handle the next step.
Whether it’s finding a clinic from Google Keep, sending an ETA on WhatsApp, or creating a grocery list in Tasks, Gemini made Android Auto feel far more capable.
That’s what impressed me the most. I said what I wanted, and Gemini figured out the flow.
