Live View function in Google Maps makes exploring easy

Posted on 12 October 2020

Live View in Google Maps uses augmented reality to help travellers orientate themselves in the real world. Since its launch last year it has been especially useful for those taking in the sights and sounds of an unfamiliar city on foot.

Live View allows users to see arrows, directions and distance markers, placed at their exact location on their devices because of AR technology. These virtual signs allow users to spend less time trying to figure which way to go and enables efficient travel, which is even more important during a pandemic.

Live View helps travellers to see the way they need to go in a new city.

On October 1, Google announced an exciting Live View update that utilises landmarks to make it ‘even easier to orient yourself in the world whether you’re walking around, leaving a public transit station or meeting up with friends.’

Users can currently search for a location on Google Maps and tap on the Live View button to visualise what the place looks like in reality. Following the update, it will be possible for nearby landmarks to be included in the visualisation, which will allow users to quickly orient and familiarise themselves with their surroundings.

Live View will show users the distance between certain landmarks with virtual pins and will also offer virtual directional aids to mark the path they need to travel on to get there.

The list of landmarks will be populated by iconic places like the Eiffel Tower and other noticeable points of interests. Landmarks will be available in about 25 global cities such as Amsterdam, Berlin, Barcelona, London, Rome, New York, Tokyo, Sydney and Kuala Lumpur, at the start, with more to come.

The Live View technology will also be expanded to ‘location sharing’, which will help users pinpoint exactly where their friends are when meeting up for a socially distant gathering.

‘When a friend has chosen to share their location with you, you can easily tap on their icon and then on Live View to see where and how far away they are–with overlaid arrows and directions that help you know where to go,’ said Google Maps Product Manager,  Mirko Ranieri.

‘No matter where you’re walking, Live View can help you get there as efficiently as possible.’

Live View will be available via the transit tab and Location Sharing option on Android and iOS devices in the near future.

Take a look at Live View in action below:

Picture: screenshot from video.






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