New Update Period Begins For Google Maps

Google is preparing to launch several new updates for Maps in the coming months, Google announced at its Search On event. Google has announced that new Maps features called Immersive View, Neighborhood Environment, and Live View Search will be available soon.

The company says all the features announced are part of its efforts to create a visual Maps experience first to help users navigate the world more naturally. So, let's examine the expected features in the new update period of Google Maps together.

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Here are the Expected Google Maps Updates

Immersive View

The upcoming Immersive View feature, which Google announced for the first time in May, is designed to help you plan ahead and understand a city more deeply before visiting it. Immersive view uses a combination of computer vision and AI technology to combine street view and aerial imagery with what the weather, traffic and crowds will be like on a given day and time.

Using predictive modeling, Immersive view automatically learns past trends to determine what an area will look like tomorrow, next week, or even next month.

For example, let's say you plan to visit Oracle Park in San Francisco and want to check it out before you go. You can use Immersive View to see where parking lots and entrances are, and also see what the weather will be like so you can dress accordingly. You can also use this feature to see how full nearby restaurants will be that day.

Immersive View will be available on Android and iOS in the coming months in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Tokyo. Google says it will add more cities in the future.

Neighborhood Environment

Neighborhood Environment was designed to give users the ability to instantly see the mood of any neighborhood through photos and information from the Google Maps community. Neighborhood Environment instantly shows you popular places to highlight points of interest related to a particular neighborhood. The new feature will be available worldwide on Android and iOS in the coming months.

You can use this feature to see if a neighborhood has an artistic vibe or an exciting dining scene so you can decide how you want to spend your time there. Google says the feature aims to help users decide what's worth exploring, by revealing local gems directly on the map.

Live View Search

Google also announced that it is bringing search functionality to Live View, the feature that places arrows and directions right above your worldview. The new Live View Search feature lets you use your camera to find important places like shops, ATMs and restaurants on the go. Let's say you are in an unfamiliar place and you want to find the nearest ATM, you can instantly see the ATMs in the area by lifting your camera and searching.

Chris Phillips, Vice President and General Manager of Google Geo, said during a statement to reporters.

Live View Search will be available on Android and iOS in the coming months in London, New York, Paris, San Francisco and Tokyo.

Environmentally Friendly Routing

Also, Google announced that it will soon offer an option to enable Maps' eco-friendly navigation. Google Map's eco-friendly route allows drivers to see and choose the most fuel-efficient route to their destination. With this expansion, companies from all industries, such as delivery or ridesharing services, will have the option to enable eco-friendly routing in apps and measure fuel consumption savings.

Google says it's a way to help expand the scope of sustainability efforts eco-steering offers.