Over the last 12 months Google has added multiple AI-powered features to its Maps including lane guidance for Polestar 4 drivers. Now it’s bringing its Gemini AI assistant deeper into application, enabling drivers to ask conversational questions and perform tasks hands-free while navigating. Users can now inquire about places along their route, request information such as sports or news, or ask Gemini to handle tasks like adding a calendar event, all from behind the wheel.
Google said Maps will support context-rich, multi-turn queries, allowing drivers to refine searches in real time, for example, by asking for a budget-friendly vegan restaurant within a few miles, followed by questions about parking availability. Drivers can also report traffic incidents using voice, and Maps will proactively warn of disruptions ahead.
To reduce missed turns, Maps will now use Street View data to guide drivers using visible landmarks such as gas stations or restaurants, instead of distance-based cues. Google says Gemini cross-references 250 million mapped places with imagery to make navigation more intuitive.
Another feature will pair Gemini with Google Lens so users can point their camera at a building and ask what it is and why it’s popular.
The updates roll out in the coming weeks across iOS and Android in the U.S., with Android Auto support to follow. Traffic alerts and landmark navigation are launching first for U.S. users; Lens-powered queries arrive later this month.
