These 3 new Google Maps features want to help you plan your summer vacation
Google Maps is one of the most popular navigation and mapping services out there, and even if Apple Maps is a worthy competitor, Google still beats it thanks to the sheer amount of features and community-added information on its platform. With summer having all but arrived, Google is adding three more tools to help you plan your next trip. The company has announced that it’s rolling out glanceable directions, a new Recents section to Maps on desktop, and Immersive View for more locations.
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Glanceable directions are rolling out
Glanceable directions are likely the biggest change to the way you use Maps to get around. Rather than having to hit the Start button to see live updates like your current ETA and which turns to take next, you can see all these details in the preview. Google pitches this as an option for routes that you’re familiar with, when you just need to see when your next turn is. It will also be useful if you’re planning any stops on the way or if you’re sightseeing, making it easier to have the full picture of what’s there to see around your route. When you stray off the suggested path, Google will recalculate your route and keep giving you relevant suggestions.
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Google first teased them during its February AI event “Live from Paris,” but it’s only starting to roll out this month, coming to all Maps users globally. In the beginning, you need to explicitly opt in. Glanceable directions are available on both Android and iOS for walking, biking, and driving.
The new mode might be particularly useful for walking and cycling, when you put your phone away and only look at it when you need a refresher on your path.
Immersive View is coming to more cities and landmarks
Google is also rolling out Immersive View to four new cities and “more than 500 landmarks” around the world. The cities in question are Amsterdam, Dublin, Florence, and Venice, while select landmarks are available in many more locations. Google offers Prague Castle and Sydney Harbour Bridge as two examples. Immersive View uses AI to mash together a multitude of images, creating a detailed and almost photorealistic 3D scenery of cities and landmarks that you can navigate through. It allows you to look at the neighborhood or sight you’re visiting in all kinds of weather and lighting conditions.
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There is also Immersive View for routes, which you can use to preview your next road trip in a more realistic look. The new Immersive View locations are coming to Android and iOS, rolling out starting today.
The Maps Recents overview on desktops is getting more powerful
In the Maps web version, Google now makes even more use of the big screen on your laptop or desktop. Google already offers a sidebar that shows you recently viewed places and locations in a handy overview. In this interface, you can select multiple locations and save them to a list with one click.
Google is extending this functionality with some choice improvements. Your Recents highlights will stay available even after you close your Maps tab, making it possible to dive back into a research session without having to keep Maps active. To combat potential overload with irrelevant places thanks to this tweak, there will also be an option to remove items from the Recents list.
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From the Recents screen, it’s also possible to start navigation to multiple places at once, with Google creating a custom route with all the stops you need to make, which it also saves to your Recents screen for later access. It’s unclear if this optimizes the route to offer the least travel time or if it will send you off based on the order you choose yourself. In addition to that, you can now also create shared lists right from the Recents screen.
Google says these new desktop additions will start rolling out next month globally, so you still have to wait a bit until you can access them. Let’s hope the features all arrive in time for your next trip.
Source: Android Police
