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A new Google Maps update lets you use augmented reality (AR) to explore key spots in major cities.
The feature is called Live View, and it was first suggested in September during Google’s Search On 22 event. Tapping the new camera icon on the Maps search bar brings up a series of AR dots on the screen, highlighting landmarks, shops and even ATMs. All you need to do is point your smartphone camera at your surroundings. These dots indicate how far away a company is and in which direction. And locations that are not immediately visible are also highlighted, according to the announcement (opens in new tab).
Point the camera directly at a dot (opens in new tab) a balloon will appear with important information such as a location’s opening times and whether or not the place has good reviews. If you’re looking for a specific restaurant or park, you can browse the categories to help you narrow down your choice.
Live View is rolling out Thanksgiving Week for Android and iOS in London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, San Francisco and Tokyo. We asked Google if there are any plans to expand to other major cities in the near future. This story will be updated if we hear anything.
Modest update
In addition to Live View, Google Maps is getting two more modest additions that are available in more locations starting today for both Android and iOS.
Electric Vehicle (EV) owners will find it easier to find the best charging station with the new “Fast Charge” filter. This marks stations with car chargers rated at 50kW or higher. And if your EV uses a specific type of plug, you can narrow down compatible stations with the corresponding plug filter. Please note that these changes are only available in countries with electric vehicle charging stations.
Accessible Places, which highlights wheelchair-friendly places, is expanding worldwide. You can activate this feature by going to the Google Maps settings menu and enabling the Accessible Places tool. After that you will see wheelchair icons in company profiles on Maps that tell you if the place is wheelchair accessible. The tool relies on the community providing accurate information, so Google is asking people to help edit these profiles and add the accessibility icon to the right places.
Updates everywhere
Elsewhere, the company has been updating its other platforms with new shopping-related features as we head into the holiday season. Google AR will help you find it (opens in new tab) the perfect makeup base according to certain statistics such as skin color or face shape. Sneakerheads will appreciate the ability to view shoes in their room via 3D models as they decide on the finer details such as color and treads (although the number of supported shoe brands is quite limited). And then there’s the food-centric Google Lens Multisearch update to help people find the name of a specific dish.
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