Google Officially Launches New AR-guided Navigation on Android and iOS

Back in 2018, Google showed off a new Google Maps feature that uses AR to give you directions. It was a really cool idea that could make it much easier to get around different places. And after testing it for a long while, Google is officially launching the new feature today.

The company is publicly launching the new Live View feature in beta for Android and iOS devices today. The new feature allows you to simply hold up your phone and it uses your camera by placing directions into the real-world. So you can simply follow the arrows and get to your destination confidently without worrying if you are going in the right direction.

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The new feature isn’t available for all phones. Google says it will only work with iOS devices that support Apple’s ARKit, and Android devices that support Google’s ARCore. That’s still a lot of devices, to be honest.

The company says it has tested the new feature with Local Guides and Pixel users over the past few months, so it’s pretty polished now. It is still a beta feature, though, and there’s probably still some rough edges. Either way, it’s really cool.

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Conversation 6 comments

  • wright_is

    Premium Member
    08 August, 2019 - 7:38 am

    <p>Looks kinda fun, but I rarely use navigation on my phone (maybe twice a year) and then, I have the phone in my pocket and pull it out every 3-400 metres to double check and that, usually holding it horizontal, so only an image of the paving slabs would be visible…</p>

  • luthair

    08 August, 2019 - 9:10 am

    <p>My 2005 webcam software wasn't augmented reality and neither is this. The user isn't looking at reality, their looking at a video stream with an overlay on a screen.</p>

    • PeteB

      08 August, 2019 - 2:03 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#448074">In reply to luthair:</a></em></blockquote><p>You're very confused</p>

  • SyncMe

    08 August, 2019 - 10:15 am

    <p>This does not look very good. A third of the screen is obscured. What is the use of AR if it covers up the R.</p>

  • orbsitron

    08 August, 2019 - 6:43 pm

    <p>As someone who has a poor sense of direction, unless I really focus and study my route in advance, when I'm travelling to a city I'm not familiar with, I rely heavily on Google Maps walking directions. If this works well, it'll be very welcome and will really help me and people with senses of direction similar to mine!</p><p><br></p><p>Now Google Maps today shows the direction you are facing in the UI and I find it's wrong much of the time (not pointing in the direction I'm walking despite the arrow in the UI moving along the path I'm walking, while pointing in a different direction). If this feature is just as inaccurate as the arrow direction feature is, it will be a gimmick at best.</p><p><br></p><p>Here's hoping it is reliable and accurate because I would _love_ to see the direction super imposed over the video of what I'm actually seeing in front of me, when I use walking directions in new cities!</p>

  • Jeffsters

    18 August, 2019 - 11:29 am

    <p>I don’t care if Google comes up with a transporter I won’t use their stuff. Go track some else.</p>

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