"Updates on Google Maps and Waze: Curated suggestions, previews, parking features, and verbal accident reporting"
In the ever-evolving world of navigation apps, Google Maps and Waze continue to innovate, offering users a more immersive and informative experience. Here's a roundup of the latest updates and features:
Google Maps
- Google Maps is now equipped with enhanced navigation, providing a clear view of lanes, crosswalks, and road signs on the map. This feature helps drivers anticipate challenges in unfamiliar areas.
- Users can now see exactly which lane to be in while navigating, following the blue line in the lane markers.
- Google Maps' Immersive View now covers 150 cities globally, offering previews of stadiums, parks, and routes under specific weather and traffic conditions. New categories like college campuses have been added, and the Immersive View now includes detailed route information, such as parking and challenging turns.
- Google Maps' Immersive View also provides insights on over 250 million places, thanks to Gemini's integration, which filters through community-driven insights.
- Users can ask Maps for suggestions like "things to do with friends at night" and receive ideas.
- The new update in Google Maps allows users to explore stops along their route before starting the journey.
- Google Maps now provides real-time map updates and offers more ways to keep drivers informed, including viewing and reporting weather disruptions along their routes.
Waze
- Waze's Conversational Reporting allows users to report incidents by speaking naturally.
- Waze is adding School Zones to improve safety near schools. Map editors can designate School Zones, and drivers will receive alerts when approaching schools during open hours.
- Some users have reported GPS issues with Waze that can be temporarily resolved by switching to Google Maps and back.
- Waze will no longer support Android 9 or older devices, ending updates for these platforms. This affects compatibility especially with older car infotainment systems.
- Some users have criticized recent Waze navigation algorithms as increasingly inaccurate or problematic after updates since 2023, noting poor routing and destination errors.
As of August 2025, there is no concrete public information on Gemini-powered improvements related to real-time updates, driving assistance, or immersive navigation views in either app. Google Maps continues to focus on main road routing and includes features for multimodal transit (walking, biking, public transit), and local business/landmark info. Further official announcements from Google would be needed to detail such advanced AI integration.
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- Artificial-intelligence integration in Google Maps, such as Gemini, is filtering through community-driven insights, thereby providing real-time insights on over 250 million places.
- The technological advancements in navigation apps also include the use of smartphones and gadgets, with Waze's Conversational Reporting allowing users to report incidents hands-free while driving.
