Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/AndroidPolice
Voice input is critical for a navigation solution, allowing drivers to continue focusing on the road while interacting with the software.
Voice commands help tackle driver's distraction without compromising the user experience. Drivers can set up navigation to a new address or search for points of interest without relying on touch input and looking at the screen.
Google Maps is getting a major under-the-hood upgrade in this regard, and while some users might not even notice it, everybody must be aware of the overhaul to discover its benefits.
First of all, some context.
Google Maps for Android also supports voice commands, but the feature runs on Google Speech Services. The service debuted in 2013 to power the voice command support in Google service. Still, the unveiling of Google Assistant and its more advanced speech recognition system led to its gradual demise on Android.
Google Maps is one of the few remaining apps still using Google Speech Services, but it now looks like the Mountain View-based search giant is getting ready to complete the app's transition to Google Assistant.
Tapping the microphone icon in the Google Maps interface (for voice input on an Android device) launches a new car introducing a quiet upgrade. Google tells users they now have a "faster way to search on Maps," informing them that the app requires permission to listen to audio – this is a Google Assistant requirement and appears in any other app featuring assistant integration. The card also shows shortcuts to quickly perform searches using voice commands, such as restaurants, gas, and so on.
The big news (in addition to the Google Assistant integration) is that searching with voice commands in Google Maps is now significantly faster. It was Google's purpose from the start, as searching for a place in a navigation app must occur instantly, without lag or delay. Google Assistant is getting significantly better, especially regarding speech recognition, and the words you say appear on the screen nearly instantly.
The new under-the-hood upgrade doesn't seem to come with a specific Google Maps update, as Google tied it to a server-side switch that it activates gradually. The Google Assistant integration is unavailable on my Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, as the rollout probably occurs in stages. On the other hand, the process shouldn't take too long, so I expect the Google Assistant integration in Google Maps for Android to land for all users in just a couple of weeks.
Installing the latest version of Google Maps doesn't make any difference to the feature's availability. However, you should keep the app up-to-date, as it's the only way to get the newest refinements and improvements. The most recent Google Maps version on Android at the time of writing is 11.90.
Google Maps is getting a major under-the-hood upgrade in this regard, and while some users might not even notice it, everybody must be aware of the overhaul to discover its benefits.
First of all, some context.
Google Maps for Android also supports voice commands, but the feature runs on Google Speech Services. The service debuted in 2013 to power the voice command support in Google service. Still, the unveiling of Google Assistant and its more advanced speech recognition system led to its gradual demise on Android.
Google Maps is one of the few remaining apps still using Google Speech Services, but it now looks like the Mountain View-based search giant is getting ready to complete the app's transition to Google Assistant.
Tapping the microphone icon in the Google Maps interface (for voice input on an Android device) launches a new car introducing a quiet upgrade. Google tells users they now have a "faster way to search on Maps," informing them that the app requires permission to listen to audio – this is a Google Assistant requirement and appears in any other app featuring assistant integration. The card also shows shortcuts to quickly perform searches using voice commands, such as restaurants, gas, and so on.
The big news (in addition to the Google Assistant integration) is that searching with voice commands in Google Maps is now significantly faster. It was Google's purpose from the start, as searching for a place in a navigation app must occur instantly, without lag or delay. Google Assistant is getting significantly better, especially regarding speech recognition, and the words you say appear on the screen nearly instantly.
The new under-the-hood upgrade doesn't seem to come with a specific Google Maps update, as Google tied it to a server-side switch that it activates gradually. The Google Assistant integration is unavailable on my Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, as the rollout probably occurs in stages. On the other hand, the process shouldn't take too long, so I expect the Google Assistant integration in Google Maps for Android to land for all users in just a couple of weeks.
Installing the latest version of Google Maps doesn't make any difference to the feature's availability. However, you should keep the app up-to-date, as it's the only way to get the newest refinements and improvements. The most recent Google Maps version on Android at the time of writing is 11.90.
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