Traveling around the world is now easier thanks to a new update to Google Maps

Google Maps is the sixth most active user app in the world. Thanks to a wide range of data, It offers maps for more than 220 countries, with the locations of millions of places And real-time information about traffic, transportation and GPS service.

With over 5 billion downloads, and availability in over 100 languages, it is the number one tool in the “Navigation” category and one of the must-haves among smartphone users.

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In October, Google Maps announced Further expansion of Search with Lens (formerly called Search with Live View) functionality to over 50 new locations, Including cities in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru.

Now, thanks to the power of artificial intelligence, people can explore and tour different locations in Latin America through a real-time augmented reality experience. In addition to this version, A series of features have been introduced that help discover new places institutions and planning trips in an easier and more organized way.

Sometimes, finding your way in an unfamiliar place can become a challenge. To facilitate this task, The Lens tool in Google Maps helps people follow walking directions and identify iconic locations or establishments. Such as restaurants, cafes, ATMs and shops efficiently, thanks to using the phone’s camera to see each city live.

From now on, this functionality will be available in six destinations in Latin America: Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (Argentina), Santiago de Chile (Chile), Bogotá (Colombia), Mexico City and Monterrey (Mexico), and Lima (Peru).

How it works? Thanks to augmented reality and artificial intelligence, it appears on the screen – once the device’s camera is activated – Arrows, directions and distance markers are displayed at the top And in some cases, on a small map at the bottom. This way, people spend less time knowing where to go and quickly locate points of interest and routes. This feature is available for Android and iOS devices.

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Step by step to use the lens

If you want to use the Live View option on your Android or iOS device, you must follow these steps:

1. Download And open the Google Maps application.

2. Type the destination You want to access it in the search bar at the top of the screen or select a place on the map.

3. Choose “How to get there” option.

4. Among the options For the type of transportation displayed, select “Walking” (the option is represented by a silhouette of a person walking).

5. In the bottom window, Select the “Live View” button located in the middle of the panel.

6. When the camera is turned on, Point your device at buildings, signs, and street signals to let Maps find your location. If this is your first time using this option, you will have to accept that the app is using your phone or tablet’s camera through a message that will appear on your screen.

7. When the app determines your location, Directions will be shown through the on-screen camera.

8. Upon arrival To your destination or having to change course, your device will vibrate.

Three new features

Google Maps It also launched three new features that speed up the process of searching for information about destinationsPlaces and much more on the platform. which is?

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Visual searches: This feature provides a clearer and more intuitive way to search for activities and experiences. When people search for things like “street art” or “art in”. Latte“or “Best Beaches”, you will get a list of photo results based on the analysis of billions of photos shared by the mapping community. This system is powered by artificial intelligence, machine learning and advanced image recognition models. This way it is possible to discover new locations that exactly match what you are looking for Every user. Simply scroll through the results, click on the image for more information, and navigate there. This new way of searching maps has already started rolling out in France, Germany, Japan, the UK, and the US, and will expand to more countries over time.

Thematic findings: The company is working to improve the way search results are organized. Therefore, results will now be grouped by topic to help you have a better experience when exploring places to eat and other activities. For example, if someone is traveling in Tokyo, they can search for “things to do” and suggestions for themed places like “anime,” “cherry blossoms,” or “art galleries” will appear. For more information, simply click on the site and you can also save options to the list for later reference. Activity and food scores will launch globally on Android and iOS in the coming weeks.

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More information about trips by electric vehicles: New features will be added that help EV drivers have a better travel experience using Maps. From now on, they will be able to see if the charger is compatible with the type of plug in their car, see when the charging station was last used or understand the charging speed available at each location (fast, medium or slow). In addition, businesses will be able to view information about their electric vehicle charging stations in real time through the Places API on the Google Maps platform. These updates have also started rolling out globally, on iOS and Android, in 17 countries such as Spain, the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Australia, and others.

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