While I ditched Apple Maps for Waze long ago and never much liked Google Maps for driving navigation, Google Maps has been my go-to map app for walking, mass transit, and biking worldwide for as long as I can remember.
No competing navigation app can touch it, in my experience. That goes double for Google Maps’ biking navigation, which maps out special routes that take into account the presence of bike lanes. Google’s latest integration of its Gemini AI into walking and biking navigation on Google Maps only solidifies my opinion that it’s the best map app in existence for both.
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“Gemini gives cyclists hands-free help so they can stay focused on the road,” reads Google’s announcement. “Commuters can even stay productive by asking ‘When’s my next meeting?’ and ‘Text Sarah I’m 10 minutes behind,’ all without letting go of the handlebars.”
Hands-free voice instruction to navigation apps while I’m biking, like when I’m driving, is my favorite feature. I don’t like taking my eyes off the road to tinker with a smartphone on a handlebar mount, even for a fraction of a second. Too much happens too quickly for that.
Yeah, you can use Google Assistant or Siri now for some limited hands-free voice integration already, but neither is as smart as a generative AI like Gemini.
“When you’re exploring and navigating with Maps, Gemini can be your personal walking tour guide. Just ask, ‘OK Google, what neighborhood am I in?’” continues Google’s announcement.
“Hungry? Follow up with ‘What are top-rated restaurants nearby?’ and Gemini will recommend options along your route based on Maps’ fresh, comprehensive information about the real world.”
I may be more likely to ask it, “Hey Google, find me a route that isn’t strewn with dog droppings or, worse, passes through Times Square,” but I’ll take what I can get.
The new Gemini integration is rolling out to users on iOS and Android devices worldwide, wherever Gemini is available.
