Google Maps already looks like it won Google IO 2022 with new features

A screengrab from Google IO 2022
(Image credit: Future)

At Google I/O 2022, CEO Sundar Pichai dedicated the start of the keynote to Google Maps, with Immersive View, eco-routes, and more.

While no Android 13 news or the latest Chrome OS features were announced as yet, Pichai made sure to put Google Maps in the spotlight first, helping you further in getting from one destination to another.

These features look to be coming to both Android and iOS later this year.

Upcoming features

There looks to be a focus on both refining the user interface for Google Maps and simultaneously making it easier to view how you can get from point A to point B.

Eco-friendly routes are Google's focus in making sure that users can help offset climate change, a big and important topic in today's world, which is going to be available outside the United States later in 2022.

There's also an Immersive view mode coming, which allows you to look inside restaurants using neural rendering to let you fly around like Superman, or a drone.

Another big improvement is indoor images when you visit a coffee house or a restaurant, with a bigger focus on better quality when you want to browse around a building.

As we're only on day 1 for Google IO, we may see more features appearing for Google Maps, where we'll update this developing story.

Daryl Baxter
Software & Downloads Writer

Daryl had been freelancing for 3 years before joining TechRadar, now reporting on everything software-related. In his spare time, he's written a book, 'The Making of Tomb Raider'. His second book, '50 Years of Boss Fights', came out in June 2024, and has a newsletter, 'Springboard'. He's usually found playing games old and new on his Steam Deck and MacBook Pro. If you have a story about an updated app, one that's about to launch, or just anything Software-related, drop him a line.