The Google Maps app has seen a variety of updates this year, and Google isn’t done yet. The company still plans on adding a number of AI-enhanced features. Here are the features Google has announced will be coming this week and in the near future.
Google is making it easier to plan trips with Immersive View. This feature shows what your drive will actually look like using street images and aerial photos. You can move a slider to see traffic and weather too. It’s coming soon to 15 big cities worldwide like New York, London, and Tokyo.
The camera on your phone can now find places around you with Lens in Maps. Just hold up your phone and it will spot things nearby like ATMs, stores and transit stations. This useful feature is expanding to 50 more cities this week.
Navigation maps are getting clearer with more detail. You’ll see buildings and roads shown better with updated colors. Places with special traffic lanes will be labelled too. Over a dozen countries including the US and Canada will get these improved maps in the months ahead.
Electric vehicle drivers can view more charging station details. Soon you’ll see info like charger types, charging speeds and times stations were last used. This update arrives this week.
When searching in Maps, photo results will now appear first. The pictures come from other users and can help you find the best spots. For example, searches for coffee shops may show latte art photos from different cafes. This launches in France, Germany, Japan and more.
In future, search categories will organize results thematically too. So looking for things to do in Tokyo could surface suggestions like art, nature or food places. Just tap a category to see related places.
In summary, Google is enhancing Google Maps with new AI features to simplify travel planning and navigation. Users will benefit from clearer maps, photo search results and convenient EV station details.
