Google Maps' Live View Update Shows You How Far Attractions Are In Real Life

For years, Google Maps has helped people get everywhere from around the corner to around the globe. Now, the service is updating again to ensure people can get from point A to Point B in the quickest way possible.

On Oct. 1, Google announced its upgrading its already awesome Live View to help make it “even easier to orient yourself in the world whether you’re walking around, leaving a public transit station or meeting up with friends.”

As the search giant noted, Live View has been around for some time, allowing people to use augmented reality (AR) and have arrows, directions, and distances displayed on screen, making it super easy to follow. Now it’s updating that AR capability to include nearby landmarks so people can further understand their surroundings.

“Live View will show you how far away certain landmarks are from you and what direction you need to go to get there,” Google explained. “These landmarks can include iconic places, like the Empire State Building in New York and the Pantheon in Rome, and easily recognizable places, like local parks and tourist attractions.”

Google added it’s also rolling out Live View in Location Sharing for all users soon too. Though the tool is already available for Pixel users, Android and iOS users will also have access as well. The tool allows friends to share a live view of their exact location, so others can quickly find them in an open space, a crowd, or anywhere they are.

“To bring all of these features to life, we’ve made improvements to global localization, the underlying technology that powers all Live View features on Google Maps,” Google explained in a blog post. “With the help of machine learning and our understanding of the world’s topography, we’re able to take the elevation of a place into account so we can more accurately display the location of the destination pin in Live View.”

Check out the new feature by updating your Google Maps app now.

Stacey Leasca is a freelance journalist whose greatest skill is giving the perfect high-five. Follow her on Instagram @Sleasca.