March 22, 2023, 10:55 am | Read time: 5 minutes
Google Maps is one of the most popular mapping services worldwide. Now, a promised update for the app is being implemented. The view of and inside buildings is expected to improve thanks to AI.
According to Statista, users in the U.S. ranked Google Maps fourth among the most popular smartphone apps in 2022. At the same time, the mapping service was the travel app with the most downloads worldwide the previous year. The numbers show: The service is very popular with users. To make using Google Maps even better in the future and to offer users new features, Google regularly provides updates for its mapping service.
Overview
4 New Features for Google Maps
In implementing the new features for Maps, Google relies on artificial intelligence, or AI. It combines existing Street View and aerial images into a new, more detailed view and supplements them with traffic and weather information. Navigation and exploring the surroundings are also expected to become easier and more convenient with the AI-enhanced information.
However, not all the new features for Google Maps are available at once. The company has already rolled out some–including in initial cities–and will deliver the rest in the coming weeks and months.
Read also: Do you know the hidden features of Google Maps?
Immersive View
Immersive View is one of the new features in Google Maps. It aims to allow users to explore areas and buildings as if they were on-site. Even the interiors of buildings can be explored with Immersive View. For example, when viewing a museum on the map, Google Maps not only shows details like exits and stairs. A slider allows users to change the view by time of day, enabling them to virtually see when the museum is particularly crowded and how full certain areas become.
Immersive View has now been rolled out for many cities and attractions across Europe, including Amsterdam, Dublin, Florence, and Venice, as well as in Germany’s Berlin, Munich, Cologne, and Frankfurt. You can read more about it in a detailed article on Immersive View.
New Type of Navigation
When viewing an area on Google Maps, users have long seen important points like parking lots, bus stations, and nearby shops and restaurants on the map. Google aims to improve the display in Maps with a new AR and AI feature. When searching with “Live View,” users only need to hold up their smartphone to see a real-time image of the surroundings on the display, thanks to the camera connection.
With Live View, users can explore all angles of the surroundings and discover new locations. All important shops, bars, stations, or similar places in the area are marked with a small dot. Users can find their way there with AR arrows indicating the direction.
The new feature in Google Maps complements “Indoor Live View,” which the company introduced in 2021 in the U.S., Zurich, and Tokyo. This focuses on the interior view and layout of important, frequently visited buildings such as airports and museums. Google has announced plans to significantly expand “Indoor Live View” this year. In the coming months, the feature will be available in Google Maps for more than 1,000 new airports, train stations, and shopping centers. The cities covered include Berlin, Frankfurt, Barcelona, London, Madrid, Melbourne, Paris, Prague, São Paulo, Singapore, Sydney, and Taipei.
Google Maps Gains New Features Thanks to AI
Google Maps Receives Major Update for Navigation
Easier Directions on Smartphones
Also in the navigation area is the optimized route planning that Google plans to introduce in its mapping service. Whether users are on foot, by bike, car, or public transport, Google Maps will soon display directions on the locked smartphone thanks to the new feature. Until now, information like arrival times or turn-by-turn instructions could only be accessed on an unlocked smartphone in the open app or navigation mode.
Google plans to roll out the corresponding update for Maps worldwide on Android and iOS in the coming months. It will also be compatible with Live Activities on iOS 16.1, according to the company.
Read also: Users can now set the engine type in Google Maps to save fuel
Google Maps Gets New Feature for EV Drivers
The topic of e-mobility is growing, and electric cars are now a common sight on the roads. However, finding (available) charging stations is often a problem. Google Maps aims to help with a new feature.
In the future, the mapping service will suggest the best stop for charging an electric car along the planned route during navigation. According to Google, the selection is based on various data, such as current traffic, battery charge level, and expected energy consumption.
In general, charging stations for electric cars will also be more prominently featured in the search. According to Google, users will soon be able to see at a glance which stores, supermarkets, or other facilities offer charging stations. Stations with ultra-fast charging capabilities, thanks to charging capacities of 150 watts or more, will be specially highlighted.