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Google Maps is getting a Gemini upgrade, which promises to let users chat with the app about driving directions but also anything else they want to know, including the news.
Google will also provide landmark-based driving directions to make it easier to know when to turn, and proactive alerts about upcoming traffic.
New Google Maps Chat Features
The chat additions are a subtle change since the existing Google Assistant can already pull up a list of nearby restaurants, for example. However, the company claims that Gemini can handle more nuanced questions, such as “what are the most popular dishes?” at those restaurants and whether there’s outdoor seating.
(Credit: Google)
“It can tell you about the parking, it can tell you what a place is like, it can answer your questions in a much more conversational experience,” Amanda Leicht Moore, a product director for Google Maps, said during a press briefing.
“It can also integrate with all of the capabilities Gemini has. So you can ask it questions about the news, or about any topic,” she added, noting she recently conversed with Gemini about second-grade math curriculums.
Gemini in navigation mode will arrive in the coming weeks for Android and iOS. The company is also working on bringing it to Android Auto, but it’s unclear if it’ll land on Apple CarPlay due to certain software restrictions. Chats will not be used for ad targeting purposes.
Landmark-Based Navigation and Traffic Alerts for Google Maps
Another notable improvement coming to Google Maps is how it gives directions. Often, mapping apps provide directions in terms of distance (“turn left in 500 feet”), which can be difficult for drivers to gauge. Google previously updated the app to use visible objects, such as traffic lights and stop signs, when giving directions. Now it’ll also use nearby buildings, such as gas stations or famous landmarks, when telling people where to go.
“You’ll hear clear directions like ‘turn right after the Thai Siam Restaurant,’ and see it highlighted on your map as you approach,” Google said as an example.
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The feature also taps the Gemini chatbot to identify the surrounding buildings on a route in real-time. “Gemini does this by analyzing Google Maps’ fresh, comprehensive information about 250 million places and cross-referencing it with Street View images to curate the most useful landmarks visible from the street, so guidance is accurate and helpful,” the company explained.
Landmark-based navigation is now rolling out for Android and iOS users in the US.
Proactive alert (Credit: Google)
The Gemini integration naturally raises concerns about the chatbot hallucinating inaccurate information. However, the company says the Gemini integration has been “grounded” to only surface real information from actual map data.
Another improvement lets Google Maps warn you about disruptions on the road ahead, even if you’re not using the app. These “proactive traffic alerts” are also rolling out today in the US, but only on Android for now.
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About Our Expert
Michael Kan
Senior Reporter
Experience
I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how President Trump’s tariffs will affect the industry. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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