Google is adding “photorealistic aerial views” to nearly 100 landmarks on Google Maps, the company announced Wednesday. According to Google, the views, which remind me of Apple Maps’ Flyover feature, give you an overview of landmarks in cities like Barcelona, London, New York, San Francisco, and Tokyo.
You can get an idea of what the new aerial views look like in this GIF from the company:
The aerial views are a “first step” in rolling out the “immersive view” that the company showed off at Google I/O, according to a blog post by Google Maps product manager Amanda Leicht Moore. The immersive view will also include indoor views and information like traffic and weather layered on the map, Google spokeswoman Genevieve Park told The Verge. AI/O, Google said the immersive viewing would begin rolling out in Los Angeles, London, New York, San Francisco and Tokyo “later this year.”
In addition to aerial views, Google is bringing other new features to Maps. For bike routes, you’ll be able to see additional information, such as whether a specific road you’ll be asked to ride is a main or secondary road, whether your route includes stairs or steep hills, and whether you can expect to hit hard. traffic And if someone has shared their location with you, you can get notifications when they arrive or leave a location. Apple offers a similar feature with the Find My app.
Moore says the new aerial views and location sharing notifications are rolling out worldwide on iOS and Android. Updated bike route information will be posted in the coming weeks.