{"id":4344,"date":"2026-03-12T23:53:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T23:53:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/4344\/"},"modified":"2026-03-12T23:53:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T23:53:14","slug":"google-maps-gets-chatty-with-a-new-gemini-powered-interface","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/4344\/","title":{"rendered":"Google Maps Gets Chatty With a New Gemini-Powered Interface"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s a new button in Google Maps<\/a>: \u201cAsk Maps.\u201d Google started rolling out this new generative AI feature today, a conversational, in-app tool that combines data from Maps with a user experience similar to the company\u2019s Gemini<\/a> chatbot. It\u2019s designed to answer questions about locations and schedule routes in the navigation app.<\/p>\n

This is part of Google’s overall strategy of adding Gemini to all its products. (Like that Portlandia sketch<\/a> where the duo visits a boutique and puts bird decals on everything in sight.) Earlier this week, Google added Gemini-powered tools<\/a> to its Workspace suite, including Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. And weeks before, it debuted a way for Gemini to take control of select apps<\/a> to run tasks, like booking an Uber.<\/p>\n

Ask Maps is first coming to Google Maps users in the US and India. This launch is limited to mobile devices<\/a>, available on both Android and iOS, with a desktop version expected in the near future. You can\u2019t opt out of Ask Maps or hide it, just like many of the new AI features<\/a> from Google.<\/p>\n

Ask Maps appears as the first tab under the search bar. When someone taps on it, Google provides personalized prompt suggestions. For example, someone living in San Francisco<\/a> may be nudged to plan a drive out to Muir Woods, including a pit stop for breakfast burritos, or explore vintage store routes for shopping in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s designed to be utilized while planning road trips. In an example provided by Google, Ask Maps created a solid itinerary for a nature getaway traveling from the Grand Canyon to the nearby Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. The chatbot compiled a three-day driving plan with multiple lookout points and other popular stops marked along the route. Ask Maps ended this output with a few tips for enjoying time at the dunes: \u201cRent a sandboard at the visitor center and grab some wax\u2014it\u2019s key for speed.\u201d<\/p>\n

The conversational feature is an example of Google leveraging the data it stores about users to offer personalized experiences. If Ask Maps logs that you\u2019re a vegetarian, it will reconfigure the restaurants included as part of the recommendations\u2014no House of Prime Rib for a date night in the city. The Gemini chatbot<\/a> can now search through your inbox and files to find answers, and it\u2019s another example of Google\u2019s increasing focus on AI-powered customization.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There\u2019s a new button in Google Maps: \u201cAsk Maps.\u201d Google started rolling out this new generative AI feature…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4345,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[1403,3561,458,3432,1405,3560,3558,8,3562,3559,9,7],"class_list":{"0":"post-4344","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-stories","8":"tag-android","9":"tag-apps","10":"tag-artificial-intelligence","11":"tag-generative-ai","12":"tag-google","13":"tag-google-gemini","14":"tag-google-maps","15":"tag-headlines","16":"tag-ios","17":"tag-maps","18":"tag-news","19":"tag-top-stories"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@news\/116218901444371284","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4344","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4344"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4344\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4345"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4344"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4344"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4344"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}