Gemini Adds Map Tool and Replaces Slash Commands With “@”
Gemini users will have a new way to bring Maps into a chat, while a change to the app’s command system replaces the slash key
Gemini users will have a new way to bring Maps into a chat, while a change to the app’s command system replaces the slash key with “@”. The update points to a closer link between Google’s chatbot and its mapping service, though the available source details do not specify when or where the new Gemini tool will roll out.
The reports describe a new “Map” tool in the Gemini app and a shift from “/” commands to a unified “@” entry point. They do not explain exactly how users will invoke the tool, what map information it can access or whether it can plan routes inside Gemini.
A broader push to put Gemini in Maps
Google has separately introduced “Ask Maps,” a conversational feature inside Google Maps that draws on location data to answer questions about places and help schedule routes. It appears as a button beneath the app’s search bar, where users can tap to see suggested prompts.
Google began rolling out Ask Maps to mobile users in the United States and India, on both Android and iOS. A desktop version was expected later. The feature is designed to bring a chatbot-style interaction into the navigation app rather than require users to switch to a separate service.
The Gemini app’s new Map tool and the Ask Maps feature are related signals of Google’s effort to weave its AI into existing products, but the available reports do not establish that they share the same interface or capabilities.
More AI features across Google apps
Google has also added Gemini-powered tools to Docs, Sheets and Slides, while introducing a way for Gemini to operate selected apps to complete tasks such as booking an Uber, Wired reported. Together, the moves extend the assistant beyond answering prompts toward actions within Google’s services and other apps.
For now, the clearest stated rollout details apply to Ask Maps: it is limited to mobile devices in the United States and India, with a desktop version still ahead.
