Google Maps Executive Explores Innovative Possibilities for Digital Navigation

Digital navigation tools have already gone far beyond just giving directions. For example, you can now use them to check the weather at your destination, or find out how much a haircut will cost at the local salon. And more changes are on the way, so who knows what else these handy tools will be able to do in the future!

Alphabet Inc.'s Google Maps is one of the most popular mobile apps in the United States, according to Comscore. It is more popular than the mobile apps of Instagram and Tiktok, as well as its closest competitor, Apple Maps. The Google Geo group, which runs the Maps app, also oversees the company's Waze mapping service.

In a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal, Christopher Phillips, the head of Google Geo, discussed his vision for the future of navigation. Phillips believes that in the future, people will increasingly rely on digital maps and other tools to get around, rather than traditional methods like printed maps or asking for directions. He also predicts that navigation will become more personalized, with people using different apps and services to find the best route based on their individual needs and preferences.

My parents used atlases and roadmaps to get around. Now I have all of that and more on my phone. So what will my kids use to find their way around?

The future will offer a much more realistic view of the world. You’ll be able to transport yourself to what it really looks like to be there at that time of day, with the weather conditions and the “busy-ness” conditions, and then see the best available options to get there.

What will be the next big thing in personal technology? Smartphones are so last year. Will it be augmented-reality glasses, or brain implants? Only time will tell.

The mobile phone will continue to play a very important role in the near future. Exciting new technology is being developed that will make it easier to access information in the context you're in. But the phone will still be a key part of that.

I find that I use my phone to help me get around more and more. I'll take it out, check where I'm going, and then put it back in my pocket and keep walking. I'm curious to know how other people think maps will become more integrated into everyday life.

There are many ways to help you get around using different modes of transportation. By using a combination of visual and audio cues, you can be more aware of your surroundings and make sure you are safe. For example, if you are walking, you might want to use audio cues combined with visual cues so you can be aware of what is in front of you. However, if you are in a vehicle, the context of how you are moving about the world will dictate what is the most critical information to help you in that moment.

There are several reasons why making maps more immersive can be beneficial to users.

First, it can help them better understand the layout of a particular area.

Second, it can provide more information about specific locations, such as points of interest or landmarks.

Finally, it can give users a more realistic sense of what it would be like to actually be in that place.

Ultimately, these benefits can lead to a more enjoyable and informative experience when using maps.

In the past, you had to guess when you would leave and hope that the conditions didn’t cause you to be late. We’re in the next evolution of information now, with detailed information that can help you decide where to go and how to get there in a better way. For example, businesses may be open or closed. Does it have outdoor seating? What’s the weather like? We’ve expanded accessibility information, if you need to go to a place that has wheelchair access. These are details that you didn’t find in the historical mapping products, but which now help people make great choices on where to go and how to get there.

What are some of the challenges you face when trying to consolidate all this information?

One of the ways we are making our product simpler is by using visuals to convey information. These new immersive visual experiences help you take in a lot of information quickly, instead of looking through long lists. We are beginning to roll out search with Live View, where you can hold up your phone and see different restaurants, ATMs, barber shops, and even places that are on the other side of a building and would otherwise be obstructed from your view.

I look at the barber shop and wonder if they're open and how much they charge for a haircut.

It seems like adding all of these elements would make it difficult to verify if locations are accurate. How do you stay on top of that?

It's really hard to keep up with changing business hours and COVID restrictions, but it's our responsibility to do our best. We collect information from businesses, governments, and authoritative services. We've also used AI and machine-learning techniques to help us scale. For example, during COVID, we deployed technology to call businesses and ask if their hours had changed and if they had any new COVID restrictions. This helped us to keep millions of businesses updated with accurate information.

Google has agreed to pay more than $390 million to settle allegations by states that it continued to track users even when location tracking on their phones was turned off. This has raised questions about why consumers should trust Google Maps over alternative mapping apps.

We take data and location privacy very seriously, and our product policies have changed and improved to reflect this. We now offer many capabilities to help users have transparency and control over their data. We will continue to build on these capabilities in the future.