It\u2019s one of those features that sounds minor on paper, but when I used it during actual drives, Android Auto felt more modern, proactive, and useful.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n \t\t Get ready for a cleaner home screen<\/p>\n Using Gemini with Google Keep, Maps, and WhatsApp<\/p>\n This was the moment Android Auto started feeling smart to me.<\/p>\n I was driving and needed to visit a hospital, but I didn\u2019t remember the exact name. I only knew that I had saved it somewhere in Google Keep.<\/p>\n Normally, this would mean opening Keep, finding the note, copying the hospital name, switching to Google Maps, starting navigation, and then jumping to WhatsApp to send my ETA.<\/p>\n Now, that\u2019s too much work when I am already behind the wheel. Instead, I gave Gemini on command.<\/p>\n I asked it to find the hospital name from Google Keep, take me there, and send my ETA to Parth on WhatsApp.<\/p>\n Gemini pulled up Shivani Care Clinic from my note, started navigation in Google Maps, and then asked whether it should send the ETA to Parth on WhatsApp.<\/p>\n I confirmed it, and that was it. It handled three jobs across three apps without making me touch my phone.<\/p>\n Google Keep found the saved detail, Google Maps handled the route, and WhatsApp took care of the update.<\/p>\n This is exactly the kind of connected experience I expect from Android Auto.<\/p>\n \t\t \t\t\t8 Questions \u00b7 Test Your Knowledge From humble startup to world navigator \u2014 how well do you know the story \n\t\t\t\t\t\tHistoryFeaturesAcquisitionsNavigationMilestones\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Begin<\/p>\n What company originally developed the technology that became Google Maps?<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tAMapQuestBWhere 2 TechnologiesCKeyhole Inc.DNavTeq\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n That’s right! Where 2 Technologies, a small Sydney-based startup, Not quite. The answer is Where 2 Technologies, an Australian startup Continue<\/p>\n In what year did Google Maps officially launch to the public?<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tA2003B2004C2005D2006\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n Correct! Google Maps launched publicly in February 2005, initially only Not quite \u2014 Google Maps launched in February 2005. It may seem like it Continue<\/p>\n Which Google Maps feature, launched in 2007, allows users to explore street-level \n\t\t\t\tAGoogle TerrainBGoogle Earth ViewCStreet ViewDLive View\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n Spot on! Street View launched in May 2007, initially covering five US The correct answer is Street View, launched in 2007. Live View is Continue<\/p>\n Google acquired Waze in 2013 for approximately how much money?<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tA$500 millionB$750 millionC$1.1 billionD$1.8 billion\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n Correct! Google acquired the Israeli navigation app Waze for The actual price was around $1.1 billion. The Waze acquisition in 2013 Continue<\/p>\n Which feature did Google Maps introduce in 2020 to help users navigate public \n\t\t\t\tATransit alertsBBusyness indicatorsCLive busyness and transit crowdednessDSafe routing\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n Well done! In 2020, Google Maps added live busyness and transit The correct answer is live busyness and transit crowdedness, introduced Continue<\/p>\n Before being integrated into Google Maps, what was the name of the product that \n\t\t\t\tAEarthViewer 3DBTerraServerCGlobeQuestDSkyMap Pro\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n Correct! The product was called EarthViewer 3D, developed by Keyhole The answer is EarthViewer 3D, made by Keyhole Inc. before Google Continue<\/p>\n What is the name of Google Maps’ augmented reality walking navigation feature that \n\t\t\t\tAAR WalkBStreet View NavigationCLive ViewDVisual Navigate\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n That’s right! Live View uses augmented reality to overlay directional The correct answer is Live View, Google’s AR walking navigation tool. It Continue<\/p>\n Approximately how many users does Google Maps have worldwide as of the early 2020s, \n\t\t\t\tA500 millionB750 millionC1 billionD2 billion\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n Correct! Google Maps has surpassed 1 billion monthly active users, a The answer is approximately 1 billion monthly active users, a milestone See My Score<\/p>\n \t\t\tChallenge Complete \/ 8<\/p>\n Thanks for playing!<\/p>\n Try Again\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Using Gemini with Maps and Messages<\/p>\n Another moment that sold me on Gemini in Android Auto was when I asked it to plan a quick drive to Suvali Beach. Again, this wasn\u2019t a simple \u2018take me there\u2019 command.<\/p>\n I asked Gemini to navigate to Suvali Beach, find Punjabi restaurants nearby, and send the details to Sonal on WhatsApp.<\/p>\n That one command would normally involve multiple steps.<\/p>\n I would have to open Google Maps, search for Suvali Beach, start navigation, look for restaurants near the destination, filter the options, and then share details on Messages.<\/p>\n Gemini handled the entire flow like a pro. It understood that I wanted navigation first, restaurant suggestions next, and then a Messages update for Sonal.<\/p>\n I wasn\u2019t asking for directions. I was asking Gemini to understand the bigger plan around the drive.<\/p>\n Gemini turned a pizza craving into a grocery run<\/p>\n This is the kind of Android Auto workflow that made me realize Gemini isn\u2019t just replacing Google Assistant.<\/p>\n I was planning to make a Margherita pizza, and instead of juggling multiple apps before leaving, I gave Gemini one simple command.<\/p>\n I asked it to create a list of ingredients for Margherita pizza in Google Tasks and then navigate me to a nearby grocery store.<\/p>\n Normally, I would have handled this in two separate steps. First, I would search for a basic ingredient list, add the same in Tasks, and open Maps to take me to a nearby store.<\/p>\n None of that is difficult, but it is the kind of small friction that adds up, especially when I am about to drive.<\/p>\n Gemini removed that friction completely. It understood the recipe context, created the grocery list in Tasks, and started navigating to a nearby store through Google Maps.<\/p>\n By the time I reached the store, the list was already waiting for me in Tasks. I didn\u2019t have to remember anything or retype anything in the parking lot.<\/p>\n Gemini made my route feel more complete<\/p>\n In another situation, I asked Gemini to take me to Milestone Pristine, find a fuel stop on my route, and play my driving playlist on YouTube Music.<\/p>\n That one command covered almost everything I usually do before starting a longer drive.<\/p>\n Gemini handled the entire sequence smoothly. It started navigation to Milestone Pristine, looked for a fuel stop along the way, and fired up my driving playlist in YouTube Music<\/a>.<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t have to break the request into three separate commands. That\u2019s the part I liked the most.<\/p>\n Gemini understood the destination, the route requirement, and the entertainment part of the drive in one go.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n
\n ![\"Illustration](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/illustration-showing-the-gemini-logo-at-the-center-surrounded-by-gmail-docs-restaurant-and-google-tr.jpeg\"\/){kind=logo}
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\n\t\t\tI found a Gemini feature so good, I deleted a bunch of apps
\n\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Gemini](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/hidden-google-maps-trick-in-android-auto-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Android](\"https:\/\/static0.anpoimages.com\/assets\/images\/ap-logo-full-colored-light.svg?v=3.6\"){kind=logo}
Quiz<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tGoogle Maps and its history
Trivia challenge<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tbehind Google Maps?<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tcreated the mapping engine that Google acquired in October 2004. The founders, Lars and Jens Rasmussen,
\n\t\t\t\twent on to lead the Google Maps team and later co-founded Google Wave.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tacquired by Google in 2004. You might have been thinking of Keyhole Inc., which Google also acquired
\n\t\t\t\taround the same time \u2014 but Keyhole’s tech became Google Earth, not Google Maps.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tfor the United States. It debuted as a web application and quickly stood out for its smooth drag-and-pan
\n\t\t\t\tinterface, which was revolutionary compared to competitors at the time.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\thas been around forever, but 2005 was when the public first got access. Google had been working on the
\n\t\t\t\tunderlying technology since acquiring Where 2 Technologies in late 2004.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\tpanoramic imagery?<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tcities. Google used specially equipped cars fitted with cameras to capture 360-degree imagery, and the
\n\t\t\t\tfeature has since expanded to cover roads, trails, and interiors across the globe.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tactually a more recent AR walking navigation feature, while Google Earth View is a separate experience.
\n\t\t\t\tStreet View remains one of the most ambitious and recognizable features Google has ever built.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tapproximately $1.1 billion in June 2013. It was one of Google’s largest acquisitions at the time, and
\n\t\t\t\tthe deal was highly competitive \u2014 both Apple and Facebook were reportedly also in talks to buy Waze.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\twas notable not just for its size but for the fierce bidding war it sparked, with Apple and Facebook
\n\t\t\t\treportedly competing against Google. Waze has continued to operate as a separate app since the
\n\t\t\t\tacquisition.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\ttransit while tracking COVID-19 crowding?<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tcrowdedness information to help users avoid packed buses and trains during the pandemic. The feature
\n\t\t\t\tused aggregated and anonymized data to show how busy a transit vehicle was in real time.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tin 2020. This was one of several pandemic-era updates Google pushed to Maps to help people make safer
\n\t\t\t\ttravel decisions. Google also added COVID-19 layer information showing case trends by region around the
\n\t\t\t\tsame period.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\tpowered Google Earth?<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tInc. Google acquired Keyhole in October 2004 and rebranded the software as Google Earth in 2005. The
\n\t\t\t\tCIA’s venture capital arm, In-Q-Tel, had previously invested in Keyhole before Google came along.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tacquired the company in 2004. TerraServer was actually a real Microsoft project that predated Google
\n\t\t\t\tEarth, but Keyhole’s EarthViewer was the direct predecessor. The CIA had also invested in Keyhole,
\n\t\t\t\tmaking it one of the more colorful backstories in Google’s acquisition history.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\toverlays directions onto the real world through your phone’s camera?<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tarrows and street names onto your phone’s camera feed, making it much easier to orient yourself at busy
\n\t\t\t\tintersections. Google first demoed the feature at Google I\/O 2018 and rolled it out more broadly in 2019
\n\t\t\t\tand 2020.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\twas first shown off at Google I\/O 2018 and uses a combination of Street View data and your device’s
\n\t\t\t\tcamera to figure out exactly where you’re standing and which way you’re facing, then overlays directions
\n\t\t\t\tin real time.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\tmaking it one of the most used apps on the planet?<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tmilestone Google confirmed around 2021. That makes it one of only a handful of apps ever to reach that
\n\t\t\t\tthreshold, sitting alongside the likes of YouTube, WhatsApp, and Instagram in that elite club.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tGoogle confirmed in the early 2020s. While 2 billion might seem plausible given Google’s scale, Maps
\n\t\t\t\tsits at around 1 billion \u2014 still an extraordinary number that reflects how deeply embedded it has become
\n\t\t\t\tin daily life across the world.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tYour Score<\/p>\n![\"Gemini](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/hidden-google-maps-trick-in-android-auto-2.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Gemini](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/hidden-google-maps-trick-in-android-auto-4.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Gemini](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/hidden-google-maps-trick-in-android-auto-3.jpg\")
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