Google Maps is getting a big Gemini upgrade for drivers – here are 4 new features coming soon

Gemini wants to do everything short of taking the wheel

05 Nov 2025, 17:32 · TechRadar

News By Mark Wilson published 5 November 2025

(Image credit: Google)

Google is rolling out new Gemini-powered features for Google Maps
These include more powerful voice controls and improved directions
Google Maps will also get a special Gemini-powered version of Lens

Google is showing the aging Google Assistant the door across most of its apps and services in favor of Gemini – and the latest one to get an AI-powered upgrade is Google Maps.

The popular navigation app is in the process of getting a Gemini brain transplant, and Google has promised in a new blog post that this will produce four new Google Maps soon that are largely aimed at drivers.

While some of these sound promising, others may well stray into the 'distracting' category, depending on how much you like talking to your phone while at the wheel. For example, Google says you'll be able to chat to Gemini to "catch up on last night's game or news" within Google Maps.

Still, in the main, these Gemini upgrades sound like a step forward from Google Assistant for Google Maps – here are all the main upgrades and when they're landing on Android and iOS.

1. Gemini voice assistance

When is it rolling out? In the "coming weeks" on Android and iOS everywhere Gemini is available, with Android Auto on the way.

Navigate more easily, just by asking - YouTube

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While today's Google Assistant in Google Maps is helpful, it very much feels like an AI assistant from a previous era – particularly with its inability to handle multi-step questions.

Google says the Gemini upgrade coming to Google Maps will change this. In the example above, the narrator asks “is there a budget-friendly restaurant with vegan options along my route, something within a couple miles"?

After getting a recommendation, the user is then able to ask natural language follow-ups like "what's the parking like there" and "what dishes are popular there"? You can also ask it to add unrelated events to your Google Calendar, if you've connected it to Gemini. We'll have to see how smoothly this all works in practice.

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