Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
TL;DR
- We were able to enable a new Gemini integration in the latest Google Maps beta.
- Gemini will eventually replace the Google Assistant for hands-free control while browsing.
- The change isn’t available in any user-facing release of Maps, but we anticipate it could arrive in an update soon.
Google is still engaged in a multi-year project to replace the old Google Assistant with its new Gemini AI assistant across its entire ecosystem. It looks like Google Maps is next to get this treatment.
While experimenting with the Google Maps app version 25.41.03.815390258 beta, we were able to enable a new Gemini integration. When enabled, this integration sees Gemini respond when you tap the microphone icon in the upper right corner of the navigation interface, rather than the Google Assistant.
The change is essentially a one-for-one swap, removing Google Assistant from navigation and replacing it with Gemini. It looks like the icon to summon Gemini will still be the Google colored mic, but when pressed it will change to the Gemini spark icon.
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Gemini can do things while browsing that Assistant couldn’t do. For example, you can ask Gemini to change your route to avoid highways or tolls, and it will make this change on its own, without you having to manually navigate the app’s menus. You can also make non-navigation-related queries, like questions about the weather (or probably anything else).
Once Gemini is enabled in Maps, the app also has an option to change Gemini settings. Tapping on this option will take you to the Gemini app itself to change the relevant settings.
With additional features and the ability to change route settings hands-free, Maps seems like a particularly good place to take advantage of Gemini. This change is not yet available in any user-facing version of Google Maps, but given that we were able to get it working in the latest beta, it seems likely that it could roll out in the near future.
⚠️ A Teardown of the APK helps predict features that might come to a service in the future based on current work code. However, these planned features may not be available in a public release.
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