Google Maps launches Ask Maps and immersive navigation with Gemini

Gemini brings chat and 3D navigation

Google is strengthening Google Maps with two additions powered by its Gemini AI models. First, Ask Maps introduces natural-language interaction so people can search for places and plan journeys conversationally. Second, Immersive Navigation overhauls the driving experience with 3D views and guidance that aims to feel more intuitive. Ask Maps is rolling out in the United States and India on Android and iOS, with desktop to follow. Immersive Navigation starts in the United States before expanding to eligible iOS and Android devices, as well as CarPlay and Android Auto.

Ask Maps is designed to handle complex, real-world queries that travellers routinely make — from finding scenic stops on a multi‑stop itinerary to locating public tennis courts with lights for an evening game. The tool personalises results using signals such as your search history and places you’ve saved in Maps. Once you’ve picked a spot, the app makes it easy to follow through: book a table, save the place to a list or start navigation — all without leaving the interface.

Conversational search and 3D navigation

Immersive Navigation rethinks the on‑screen display and turn‑by‑turn guidance to improve readability. Buildings, flyovers and terrain appear in 3D, while critical road details such as lanes, crosswalks, traffic lights and stop signs are highlighted when they matter. Gemini models analyse imagery from Street View and aerial photography to sharpen the system’s understanding of the route. Voice instructions have been reworked to sound more natural, and Maps now explains trade‑offs between alternate routes — tolls, traffic and total time — to help drivers decide in context. Before arrival, you can preview the destination in Street View, get parking recommendations and see highlighted building entrances to make the final approach clearer.

“Our team set out to redesign the driving experience with the objective of taking the guesswork out of trips,” said Miriam Daniel, VP of Google Maps, in a briefing with reporters. “Immersive navigation is a complete transformation of the navigation experience. It’s got redesigned visuals, fresh real‑world information that’s brought to you just in time, and more intuitive guidance.”

On 17 October 2025, via the Gemini API, the company had already opened up access to certain Maps data and capabilities for developers to power new experiences. With Ask Maps, it is now betting on conversation to shorten search time and more effectively turn inspiration into action, drawing on the scale of its database — more than 300 million places and over 500 million contributors.