Google is adding “photorealistic aerial views” to almost 100 landmarks in Google Maps, the company announced on Wednesday. The views, which remind me of Apple Maps’ Flyover feature, give you an overhead look at landmarks in cities including Barcelona, London, New York, San Francisco, and Tokyo, according to Google.
You can get an idea of what the new aerial views look like in this GIF from the company:
The aerial views are a “first step” toward launching the “immersive view” the company showed off at Google I/O, according to a blog post from Google Maps director of product Amanda Leicht Moore. Immersive view will also include indoor views and information like traffic and the weather layered on the map, Google spokesperson Genevieve Park tells The Verge. At I/O, Google said immersive view would begin rolling out in Los Angeles, London, New York, San Francisco and Tokyo “later this year.”
In addition to the aerial views, Google is bringing a few other new features to Maps. For cycling routes, you’ll be able to see additional information like whether a specific road you’ll be instructed to travel on is a major or minor road, if your route includes stairs or steep hills, and whether you can expect to hit heavy traffic. And if someone has shared their location with you, you’ll be able to get notifications when they get to or leave a location. Apple offers a similar feature with the Find My app.
The new aerial views and location sharing notifications are now rolling out globally on iOS and Android, Moore says. The updated cycling route information will be launching in the “coming weeks.”
