Google Maps may or may not be the best mapping solution out there, but there’s no disputing the amount of data it has collected over the years. This data allows Maps to deliver helpful navigation experiences in major metropolitan areas with features likeStreet Viewand Live View. At Google I/O 2022, the company outlinedplans to introduce Immersive View for Mapsin a few cities, creating an interactive 3D view of the selected locations. Nearly a year after its announcement, this feature’s rollout is finally gaining momentum.
In February this year, Google announced theinitial rollout of Immersive Viewwith support for five cities to begin with — London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Tokyo. Users onReddit have confirmedthe feature’s availability in London, but they say Berlin is mapped out interactively too. The rollout is still underway at the time of writing, but Google says Amsterdam, Dublin, Florence, and Venice will also be supported in the coming months.
For the uninitiated, Immersive View is a combination of Street View and aerial imagery with weather and traffic data layered on top to create a realistic digital representation of real-world locations. You can use the on-screen slider to change the time of day and see how crowded the city looks. You can even scroll and pan around to look inside restaurants, eateries, and other buildings. If available for a location, you’ll find Immersive View as the first option in the photo gallery section.
However, we suggest you connect to Wi-Fi before immersing yourself in the new Google Maps experience (pun intended). Aredditor points outthat surfing Immersive View for 30 minutes burns through 2GB of data, which could be a cause for concern if you’re using limited mobile data.
We are still not happy with the rollout pace for Immersive View, but that’s likely because of the sheer amount of data Google needs to crunch down for the feature. However, this feature brings Google Maps a step closer to Apple Maps, a direct rival that has lagged behind Android’s default navigation app traditionally, but is nowcatching up to Google Maps and surpassing it in many areas.
