- 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'…