Here’s how Google Maps is utilizing Gemini while you drive.
What you should know:
– Google is officially substituting Google Assistant with its newer Gemini AI within the Maps application, beginning with the navigation microphone.
– Gemini will manage intricate voice commands for route modifications (such as avoiding tolls) and respond to inquiries about weather or local attractions, all without leaving the navigation view.
– A broader rollout appears to be on the horizon, as Google continues to integrate its ecosystem under Gemini and phase out Assistant.
Google is subtly altering Google Maps, indicating its intention to replace Google Assistant with Gemini across more of its services. The team at Android Authority has detected Google’s AI assistant carefully taking over Google Assistant within the Maps app, marking one of the most definitive indications that Gemini is assuming control for navigation.
In the most recent beta version of Google Maps (25.41.03.815390258), the publication observed that pressing the mic icon during navigation no longer invokes Google Assistant. Instead, it triggers Gemini, complete with the new spark-shaped emblem that replaces the recognizable four-color microphone.
Gemini subsequently manages voice commands for route adjustments, such as circumventing toll roads or highways, without the need to navigate through menus. It can also respond to queries regarding the weather, local locations, or even general subjects, all while keeping you within the Maps interface.
The update connects directly to the Gemini app, allowing users to modify the AI’s configurations from there. While the feature is still undergoing limited beta testing, the latest finding suggests that a broader release is on the way.
Google’s larger objective:
This aligns with Google’s extensive plan to consolidate its ecosystem under Gemini, gradually retiring older Assistant-based functionalities. Late last year, Google unveiled a revamped search experience inside Maps that enables you to pose more natural questions like “Locate 4-star restaurants open right now” or “Display parks with playgrounds nearby” with assistance from Gemini. The shortcut for this feature is being introduced right alongside standard categories like “Restaurants” or “Gas.”
The timing aligns perfectly with Google’s choice to discontinue Assistant’s Driving Mode earlier this year, which had already been stripped of most of its functionalities in 2024. With Gemini now managing calls, messages, and even media playback across Android devices, it is only logical that navigation is next on its agenda.
There are initial indications that this AI integration might extend to Android Auto as well, enabling you to inquire about local restaurants or traffic conditions directly from your vehicle’s dashboard.
