Google Maps gets navigation features powered by Gemini

Google Maps is getting some big navigation upgrades, featuring Gemini AI. The improvements are focused on the hands-free driving experience.

You can speak to Gemini in Google Maps using natural language to ask questions with the Hey Google command. It can handle complex queries like "Is there a budget-friendly restaurant with vegan options along my route, something within a couple miles? " Gemini will analyze your query and provide a response, and offer to re-route a detour, with details about the top result for your query. In this particular example, it found a café and also informed the user about the cuisine, ratings, etc.

Users can also ask follow-up queries such as "What's parking like there?" or "What dishes are popular there?" You can respond to the voice assistant's suggestion by saying something like, "OK, let’s go there." This will initiate the navigation. Or you can ask it to pick a different place. Maps users can also ask Gemini to recap the news, or last night's game.

Google is integrating Calendar in Maps to allow the AI to create events easily.  E.g. You can ask Gemini to add a calendar event for soccer practice tomorrow at 5 PM. The AI will automatically create the corresponding event, if you choose to grant it permission for accessing your calendar.

Users can report disruptions to Google Maps quickly by speaking to Gemini. Some examples: “I see an accident,” “Looks like there’s flooding ahead” or “Watch out for that slowdown”. This can help other users.

Google says the Gemini navigation improvements in Google Maps are rolling to Android and iOS users worldwide. It will be available on Android Auto later.

Google's announcement admits that traditional navigation instructions from apps, like “turn right in 500 feet”, can be quite confusing, leaving the user guessing where they have to turn. To improve this experience, it's introducing landmark-based navigation. This feature will use popular locations, buildings, restaurants, gas stations that users can spot easily, in addition to traffic lights and stop signs. It will also highlight the landmark on the map as you drive closer to it. For example, instead of just saying "turn right after 1000 feet" it will say “In 1000 feet, turn right after the Thai Siam Restaurant.”

It sounds natural, like how a real person may guide you. To power this guidance feature, Gemini analyzes Google Maps data and cross-references it with Street View images, to curate the most useful landmarks that can be spotted easily. Landmark-based navigation is rolling out to users in the U.S.

Google Maps will warn you about unexpected closure of routes, or heavy traffic jams, even when you are not navigating actively. The app will proactively notify you of any disruptions on the road ahead. You can choose to dismiss the notification, turn it off, or tap on it to view more details. These Proactive traffic alerts are rolling out now in the U.S. on Android.

The fourth improvement that Google has announced is called Lens built with Gemini. Users can tap the camera button in the Maps search bar, point the phone's camera at locations like restaurants, cafés, shops or famous landmarks, to identify the place. You can also tap on a pin on a map, press the mic button, and ask questions like "What is this place and why is it popular?" or "What’s the vibe inside?". Gemini will provide a summary about the place, or your query, and also read it out aloud. Lens built with Gemini starts rolling out gradually later this month in the U.S.

In case you missed it, Apple Maps may soon display ads in the search results.

Update: Techcrunch reports that Gemini navigation will also be rolling out to users in India in the coming weeks, and will support 9 Indian languages at launch. Proactive alerts are also rolling out on Android for users in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Google has partnered with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to provide near real-time updates about road closures, diversions, repairs, etc., and will display restaurants, fuel stations, restrooms along national highways.

Google Maps is adding voice support for flyovers in the coming weeks. The app will also display speed limits on the navigation screen. This experience is rolling out to Android and iOS users in Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai and Noida.

Landmark-based navigation and proactive traffic alerts sound good. What about you? Do you like any of these features?

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