Google on Thursday announced a fresh set of updates for Ask Maps. The new features expand upon the capabilities of the Gemini-powered natural language query tool, which was first introduced in Maps in March. Calling it the biggest overhaul to Google Maps in over a decade, Ask Maps can now respond to users in Hindi, receive real-time public transit information, and use Personal Intelligence for more personalised recommendations. Google claims to also remember previous conversations, which allows users to continue planning trips without starting afresh.
Google Ask Maps Update
In a blog post, Google said that its conversational AI feature in Maps gets support for the Hindi language. Alongside English, people can ask questions, search for destinations, and receive recommendations in Hindi using natural language.
The Mountain View-based tech giant is bringing Personal Intelligence to Ask Maps. Like Photos, Drive, and other Google apps, users can now connect their Gmail account to Maps, allowing the app to use information such as hotel bookings, flight details, and restaurant reservations to provide contextual recommendations.
Citing an example, Google said that Ask Maps can suggest nearby attractions before a scheduled flight or recommend places to visit close to a booked hotel. The Gmail integration is disabled by default and has to be manually toggled.
Another notable feature is conversational memory. If history settings are enabled, Ask Maps can remember previous chats. As per the company, this makes it easier for users to resume trip planning or revisit earlier recommendations. They can simply ask the AI to recall previously suggested activities or destinations instead of repeating prompts.
Apart from this, live public transit information to Ask Maps in India. Following its arrival, users will be able to view real-time schedules, delays, route changes, and connecting options for buses, metro services, and trains directly within the conversational interface. This move is claimed to be able to help commuters make better-informed travel decisions by providing up-to-date transit information without multiple searches.
Google says the new live transit experience, Personal Intelligence, and conversation memory are rolling out now in all regions where Ask Maps is available, including India. Meanwhile, additional agentic capabilities like food ordering, hotel discovery, and event recommendations are currently limited to the US.
