Google added Gemini to Google Maps on March 12, 2026, enabling queries that traditional maps couldn’t handle.
Ask Maps
The new Ask Maps button accepts natural language questions like “is there a public tennis court with lights on that I can play at tonight?” Previously, finding that information required sifting through reviews manually.
Google says Ask Maps can answer “complex, real-world questions that a map could never answer before.” It generates custom maps with tailored responses based on your prior searches and saved preferences.
Trip planning
For travel, Ask Maps builds itineraries using data from more than 300 million places, including community reviews. Describe what you want from a trip, and it suggests routes and stops matched to your interests.
Immersive Navigation
Separately, Google launched Immersive Navigation – what it calls the biggest update to driving in Maps in over a decade.
Using Gemini’s analysis of Street View and aerial imagery, the new navigation provides broader route views with more context about what’s ahead, clearer tradeoff comparisons between alternate routes, and route previews for planning parking.
Availability
Ask Maps is rolling out in the US and India on iOS and Android, with desktop coming soon. Immersive Navigation is US-only at launch, expanding over the coming months to eligible devices including CarPlay and Android Auto.
