New Delhi: Google has unveiled one of the biggest updates to Google Maps in more than a decade, introducing new artificial intelligence-powered features aimed at making navigation and trip planning more conversational and interactive.
The update integrates advanced AI models to help users explore places, plan routes, and navigate destinations with greater ease.
The rollout includes a new feature called Ask Maps, powered by Google’s latest Gemini AI models, along with Immersive Navigation, a redesigned navigation system that offers realistic 3D route previews.
Ask Maps brings conversational search to navigation
At the centre of the update is ‘Ask Maps,’ which allows users to ask complex questions directly within the Google Maps app using natural language. Instead of searching for locations one at a time, users can interact with the app through a chat-style interface similar to Google’s AI assistant.
The feature is currently rolling out on Android and iOS devices in the United States and India.
With Ask Maps, users can make detailed requests such as finding “the best three-hour family hikes with a place to stop for lunch,” locating a nearby charging point when their phone battery is low, or identifying public tennis courts with lighting for night play.
The Maps driving experience is also evolving with Immersive Navigation, featuring clearer visuals and intuitive guidance. You’ll be able to see the buildings, overpasses and terrain around you in a vivid 3D view, made possible with help from Gemini models.
According to Google, the feature draws on a vast database that includes information from more than 300 million places around the world and insights from over 500 million contributors.
The Maps driving experience is also evolving with Immersive Navigation, featuring clearer visuals and intuitive guidance. You’ll be able to see the buildings, overpasses and terrain around you in a vivid 3D view, made possible with help from Gemini models.
You’ll also be able… pic.twitter.com/FtAK2BEIMC
— Google (@Google) March 12, 2026
Smarter trip planning and recommendations
By combining this extensive mapping data with Gemini’s AI capabilities, Google Maps can generate personalised recommendations and display them directly on the map.
The feature is also designed to help with complex travel planning. For example, users planning road trips can ask for suggestions along multi-stop routes. The app may recommend stops along the way, provide directions, estimate arrival times, and highlight popular places based on community insights.
Once a destination is selected, users can take further actions such as booking reservations, saving places to lists, sharing them with friends, or starting navigation immediately.
Immersive Navigation introduces realistic 3D route previews
Alongside Ask Maps, Google has launched Immersive Navigation, which it describes as the most significant upgrade to the driving and route guidance experience in more than ten years.
Powered by Gemini AI models, the feature creates realistic 3D views of roads and surroundings by combining Street View imagery with aerial photographs and AI processing. The system recreates buildings, overpasses, crosswalks, traffic lights, and landmarks to provide a clearer understanding of the route ahead.
The aim is to make navigation closer to real-world driving conditions and reduce confusion at complex intersections. The system can highlight lane guidance, show upcoming turns more clearly, and help drivers prepare for merges or exits earlier.
Gradual rollout across platforms
Immersive Navigation is currently beginning its rollout in the United States, initially focusing on walking and cycling directions. Google plans to expand the feature more widely in the coming months across Android and iOS devices, as well as vehicle platforms such as CarPlay and Android Auto.
According to Google, combining its mapping data with Gemini’s AI models represents a major shift in how digital maps function. By turning exploration into a conversation and visualising routes in realistic 3D environments, the company aims to make everyday travel planning, from road trips to local errands, simpler and more intuitive.
For users in India and the United States, the update is already appearing within the Google Maps app, marking what the company describes as the beginning of a new era in AI-powered navigation.
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