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Use Gemini in one of two ways: ask the Gemini app to find a place or plan directions, or ask Gemini inside Google Maps for help after navigation has started. The first is for planning; the second lets you ask route and nearby-place questions while traveling.
Before you start
For place search and directions in the Gemini app, sign in to Gemini and keep Activity on. Gemini may use your saved Work or Home locations, and it can use your phone’s location when you grant location permission. Google says this feature is not available in Live chats or Gemini in Google Messages. See Google Gemini Apps Help.
Find a place or get directions with the Gemini app
- Open the Gemini app on your phone, or go to gemini.google.com.
- Ask for a place, details about a place, or directions in everyday language. For example, try “Where’s the closest coffee shop and what time does it open?”, “Find me a park with a playground within a 10-minute drive from where I am now,” or “Give me directions to [destination].”
- Review the response. Gemini can use public Google Maps information to return business and attraction details such as addresses, descriptions, websites, ratings, opening hours, and directions by transport mode. Google says it can also help avoid tolls.
- Tap a linked place name or preview card to open its details. Depending on availability, you may see directions and other actions.
On phones, Google also documents opening a place from its pin on a full-screen map, viewing an interactive map of places in the chat, and exporting pinned places to a custom Google Maps list. These place-detail features are gradually rolling out. Google says they require a personal Google Account, that you are 18 or older, and that you ask about a place in English. The same Gemini Apps Help page describes the current feature conditions.
Ask Gemini for help while navigating in Google Maps
- Open Google Maps and start navigation to a destination.
- While navigation is active, say “Hey Google” or tap the Gemini icon. On iPhone or iPad, hands-free use requires enabling “Access your Assistant with ‘Ok Google’” in navigation settings.
- Ask a route question or give a navigation request. Examples from Google include “Navigate home,” “Add stop,” “Avoid tolls,” “Show alternative routes,” and “What’s my next turn?” You can also ask for a cafe near your destination.
In this Maps workflow, Gemini can answer questions about your destination or a search result and accept reports about traffic, construction, or a breakdown. Google says Gemini in Maps is available in many countries and languages, but that does not guarantee availability on every device, account, or in every location. It is not currently available for CarPlay, according to Google Maps Help.
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Choose the workflow that fits what you need
| Need | Use Gemini in the app | Use Gemini in Google Maps |
|---|---|---|
| Find a place or check details before leaving | Ask Gemini for a place, its details, or directions using public Maps information. | Start navigation first; then ask about the route or places near your destination. |
| Change or ask about a route while traveling | Not the workflow documented for active navigation. | Ask for route actions or information, such as another route, a stop, toll avoidance, or the next turn. |
| Open place details or organize pinned places | Tap a place result; additional map and list features may appear as they roll out. | Ask about a destination or search result during navigation. |
| Platform note | Availability of individual features varies; expanded place-detail features have Google’s stated account, age, and English-language conditions. | On iPhone or iPad, enable the stated “Ok Google” navigation setting for hands-free use; Gemini is unavailable for CarPlay. |
What the Gemini app’s Maps connection cannot do
Do not treat a place search in the Gemini app as a substitute for every Google Maps feature. Google lists these actions as unsupported in Gemini Apps:
- Save location history.
- Use saved places other than Work or Home.
- Provide live traffic updates.
- Add a place review.
These limits apply to the Gemini Apps Maps connection described by Google Gemini Apps Help; they should not be generalized to Gemini inside active Google Maps navigation, which separately supports route questions and road-issue reports.
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