Google Rolls Out Live View Augmented Reality Search While Adding and Improving Other Features

 

Google LLC said today it’s adding a new augmented reality-powered capability to Live View in Maps that will make it possible to visually search for restaurants, coffee shops, and other businesses in the immediate vicinity. 

The expanded Live View feature is part of a series of updates announced today in Maps, Search, and Shopping. Google said the new AR capabilities will roll out in Live View in Maps starting next week in select cities, including New York, London, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Tokyo, and Paris. 

Users will see a new “Search with Live View” feature made available that allows them to search the area they’re standing in using their smartphone camera. As users hold up their phones and scan nearby buildings, Maps will helpfully identify them as hotels, restaurants, banks, ATMs, stores, and more. Users will also be able to see if the business is open, how busy it is, and information on its price range, as well as user ratings.

The ability to find wheelchair-accessible places or establishments, which was previously only available in select countries, is now available globally, on both Android and iOS. Users simply need to turn on the “Accessible Places” setting in Google Maps and then look out for the wheelchair icon on the business profile to know if it has a wheelchair-accessible entrance. Searching for a particular food dish is also a lot easier. Users simply need to type in the name of the dish in a Maps search and the results will now show restaurants that serve them. 

Google is also adding a new AR-powered shopping and beauty feature, which will let users find the exact cosmetic foundation shade they are looking for. Maps now get a photo library featuring 148 models that represent a diverse spectrum of skin tones and will let users basically apply the foundation on these virtual models helping them find the perfect skin product. Upon finding the right one, simply tap to select the product to find a retailer. Google has also introduced the ability to find shoes and explore them in AR, but they are currently limited to select brands.