Google Maps now lets you see buildings in 3D while it guides you

While it was already possible to view a city map with 3D buildings in layers, the app now has the ability to view in 3D, using the map to guide you to your destination. This new addition joins a long list of new features that the tech company has introduced over the past year.

On Tuesday, Android expert @AssembleDebug shared a screenshot where you can see a new option to display buildings in 3D. during navigation. This is in version 125 of the Google Maps beta. As is usually the case, this new feature will likely be available to all users soon after some beta testing.

The 3D layer offered by Google’s navigation app shows planes with only a basic 3D geometry layer, without including more detailed textures. Therefore, one would foresee that this new option will offer the same type of graphics.

“Google Maps has added an option to “Show buildings in 3D” while navigating. It was in the testing stage for some time. Google Maps 125 beta. makes it accessible to everyone. It was already possible to view 3D buildings in normal map mode using the layer option,” explains @AssembleDebug.

This feature can make Maps navigation more visual by giving the user a small idea of ​​the height of the buildings they are passing by.

This new feature complements those previously implemented by Google in recent months, such as real-time EV battery charge information, the inclusion of weather and air quality icons, and other AI-powered improvements.

Towards more exciting technologies

The new feature is another addition to the work Google has already done to make the Maps app as comprehensive as possible. In 2023, the Immersive View tool arrived in Spain, with which it was also possible to see buildings in three dimensions.

Using hundreds of different images of the same building, Google was able to construct multi-dimensional scenes of symbolic buildings, which, for example, is very interesting for tourists. In addition, you can see how the same design will look in different weather conditions or at different times of day.

Google’s idea is also to be able to show the interiors of as many monuments or buildings as possible so that the user can decide whether it is worth visiting or not, or find the most accessible entrance to a site. All this comes in conjunction with Street View, which offers a view from the street as if someone were walking in the same place.