Google Maps Gets AI Chat and 3D Navigation in Biggest Update in a Decade

Google Maps Enters the AI Chat Era

Google has unveiled what it calls its most ambitious Maps update in over a decade, headlined by two major features: Ask Maps and Immersive Navigation.

Ask Maps, now rolling out in the United States and India on both Android and iOS, lets users type or speak complex, natural-language questions directly within the app. Instead of keyword searches, users can ask things like "Where can I charge my phone without waiting in a long coffee queue?" or "Is there a lit public tennis court I can use tonight?" The feature is powered by Google's Gemini AI models and draws on more than three hundred million place listings and reviews from over five hundred million contributors.

Personalisation and Trip Planning

Ask Maps also personalises results based on a user's search and save history, meaning a dinner query might already reflect dietary preferences without being asked. Trip planning queries return full day-by-day itineraries with inline listings, images, and the ability to start navigation or book a restaurant directly from the chat.

Immersive Navigation Transforms Driving

The second headline feature, Immersive Navigation, redesigns the driving experience with a vivid 3D view that reflects nearby buildings, overpasses, and terrain. The update highlights lanes, crosswalks, traffic lights, and stop signs, and uses transparent buildings and smart zooms to prepare drivers for tricky manoeuvres.

Voice guidance has been reworked to sound more natural and conversational, explaining route trade-offs such as a longer trip with less traffic versus a faster one with a toll. Real-time disruption alerts now draw on data from both the Google Maps and Waze communities.

Rollout Plans

Immersive Navigation is launching first in the US, with CarPlay, Android Auto, and vehicles with Google built-in expected to follow in the coming months. Desktop support for Ask Maps is also on the way.