Google Map's Live View is a hugely impressive augmented reality feature, enabling you to point your phone at the real world and see Google data on top of it. And now Google is rolling out Search With Live View to iPhones and Android phones to make it even more useful.
The new feature is limited to a handful of global cities: London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, San Francisco and Tokyo. Google won't confirm plans for other places but it's no doubt working on it.
What does Google Search With Live View do?
Here's how Google describes it: you're in New York and want to do some shopping and hang out with friends. "Lift your phone and tap on the camera icon in the search bar to see nearby stores and other places like coffee shops, banks and ATMs. With AR-powered directions and arrows, you can see what direction they’re in and how far away they are — and even spot places that aren’t in your immediate view (like a clothing store around the block) to get a true sense of the neighborhood at a glance."
That's pretty clever, but the killer app for me is that it overlays the key information that you need to know, for example whether it's open right now, how busy it is and whether other Google users think it's a hive of villainy.
That's not the only update Google is rolling out. There's a new charging station finder for electric vehicles, and the brilliant Accessible Places feature has now been rolled out globally after successful pilots in the UK, US, Australia and Japan.
Accessible Places is a boon for wheelchair users, people with restricted mobility and parents with prams: it can tell you if the place is accessible, if there are accessible toilets and seating, and even how close to the venue you can park. If a location doesn't already have that information you can add it yourself right there in the app.
As much as I love the gee-whiz features of Search With Live View, I think the Accessible Places is much more important: it might not look sci-fi in an animated screenshot, but it's something that'll help make life easier for millions of people.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
Writer, musician and broadcaster Carrie Marshall has been covering technology since 1998 and is particularly interested in how tech can help us live our best lives. Her CV is a who’s who of magazines, newspapers, websites and radio programmes ranging from T3, Techradar and MacFormat to the BBC, Sunday Post and People’s Friend. Carrie has written more than a dozen books, ghost-wrote two more and co-wrote seven more books and a Radio 2 documentary series; her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, was shortlisted for the British Book Awards. When she’s not scribbling, Carrie is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind (unquietmindmusic).
-
Android XR to debut on all-new Apple Vision Pro rival from Samsung
Android XR will underpin future mixed reality experiences on headsets and glasses
By Chris Hall Published
-
iOS 18.2 upgrade – here's how to get Apple Intelligence on your iPhone
Apple has released its iOS 18.2 upgrade, bringing a range of new features to your iPhone. Discover how to get the features and what to expect
By Mat Gallagher Published
-
Google's "Willow" quantum chip won't just change future computers, it could change the world
Willow smashes benchmarks at a level hard to comprehend
By Chris Hall Published
-
Pixel 9a leaks again, showing Google is heading in a new direction
Newly leaked images of a "Pixel 9a prototype" appear to confirm Google's changed design direction
By Carrie Marshall Published
-
Google Maps gets a big update that London visitors and commuters will especially love
Street View now available for 18 major London Tube stations
By Rik Henderson Published
-
Google Maps is getting its best free update yet and it’s a game-changer
The best traffic warnings are coming to the main Maps app at last
By Carrie Marshall Published
-
Google's Pixel Watch Loop Bands seem very familiar, but also refreshing
And it's compatible with older Pixel Watch models too
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
YouTube beats Spotify to the punch with a much-loved feature
What did you listen to most?
By Britta O'Boyle Published