Google Maps gets 3D previews

Google published the announcement on March 12, 2026, introducing “Ask Maps” and a redesigned driving experience called “Immersive Navigation.” (blog.google) Google described Immersive Navigation as its biggest navigation upgrade in over a decade and said it brings more intuitive guidance and vivid 3D context to routes. (blog.google) Google Maps Platform moved photorealistic 3D Maps to general availability for the web on October 30, 2025, enabling production use by businesses and publishers. (mapsplatform.google.com) Google added Maps 3D SDKs for Android and iOS in an Experimental release on May 22, 2025, with the mobile SDKs covering more than 2,500 cities in photorealistic detail. (mapsplatform.google.com) Google highlighted RunConcierge and partnerships with Tata Consultancy Services and Neurun to showcase immersive event maps for the TCS New York City Marathon as a production example for race-week and spectator experiences. (mapsplatform.google.com) Ask Maps is rolling out now in the U.S. and India on Android and iOS with desktop coming later, and Google says Immersive Navigation began its U.S. rollout with availability expanding to eligible iOS/Android devices, CarPlay, Android Auto and cars with Google built‑in. (techcrunch.com) (9to5google.com) Google confirms the rollout is powered by Gemini models and integrations like Grounding with Google Maps in Vertex AI for spatial understanding, and Google says its driving community supplies over 10 million real‑time contribution reports daily to keep those views up to date. (blog.google) (9to5google.com)