Have you heard about the latest Google Maps Live View feature? This new addition to the global navigation app lets you inspect nearby businesses, get AR directions, improve your location tracking, and more.
To use Live View, you must be in a well-lit outdoor area where the camera can recognize nearby buildings or street signs.
And it must be somewhere with a mapped Street View, which Google stitches together with footage from its fleet of cars mounted with 360º cameras.
This new handy feature uses augmented reality to help make walking directions more accessible and dynamic on Android phones and iPhones.
Once you know where to find it, Live View is relatively easy. But you may not know what features are available or where you’ll get the most out of the Live View experience.
Here is how to use the Google Maps Live View feature
To get started head over to the Maps app and click on Directions and Walking View. Next to the blue Start button, find and tap the Live View button.
At this point, you have to Allow Maps to take pictures and record video while using the app” on Android. This would be vital access required in order for the Camera and AR to work properly.
Now point your phone camera around to locate your surroundings, focusing on buildings, landmarks, and/or street signs.
Once Live View recognizes your position, it will augment your surroundings with arrows to guide you in the right direction. Hold the phone vertically to continue to use Live View, or swap to horizontal to return to 2D map view.
If you don’t want to use the Directions tool, and simply want to check where a nearby restaurant is, select it on the map and then swipe down the informational menu.
Use the Live View button should appear in the bottom right. Tap it and point your phone at your surroundings. This will enable your phone to show you which direction the landmark is, how far away it is, and if it’s somewhere above ground level. You can then switch to Directions mode if necessary.
Find people with Live View
On any phone, you can share your location in Google Maps — that link guides you through the main steps. But on a Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro, you can see a person’s location in Live View, as you would any business or landmark.
1. Tap your profile picture and then Location Sharing from the subsequent menu.
2. If a Google contact has shared their location with you, that contact should appear here; tap it. You can also tap a contact and Request that they share their location.
3. Tap Live View and calibrate your surroundings.
As with any location, Google Maps will use the compass to direct you towards that person, then tell you how far away they are and how to get to them!