Google Maps just gained a cool new trick, but not on Android
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR Google Maps for iOS is now getting the handy screenshot-reading tool.
The feature allows Maps to automatically save places from screenshots that contain location information.
The new tool is not yet available on Android but should roll out in the near future.
Back in March, Google introduced a handy new tool for Google Maps that pulls address information from the screenshots saved on your device. Powered by Gemini, the feature identifies locations mentioned in your screenshots and automatically adds them to a list you can revisit anytime. This neat functionality has reportedly started rolling out to Google Maps on iOS, but unfortunately, it's still not available on Android.
In a blog post published yesterday, Google shared more details about how the feature works. When you open the Google Maps app, your screenshots will appear at the top of the 'You' tab, marked with a badge that says 'Try it out!' Tapping this badge launches a short video explaining how the feature works, and you can even try it out as you watch.
Naturally, for Google Maps to access your screenshots, you'll need to grant the app permission to view your photos. You can choose from several permission options or go with the manual route if you'd prefer not to give full access.
Google
Once permissions are set, Maps will automatically recognize when you take a screenshot containing location info. A prompt will appear letting you know that new places are ready for review. You can tap to review and decide whether or not to save the image to your screenshots list in Google Maps.
There's also a manual option if you'd rather upload screenshots yourself. Just head to the screenshots section in the 'You' tab. Once saved, these places will appear right on your map, or you can access them through the 'You' tab.
As for Android users, the wait continues. Google has confirmed the feature is coming to Android, but hasn't provided a set timeline.
Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at
Email our staff at news@androidauthority.com . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bloomberg
18 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Meta in Talks for Scale AI Multi-Billion Investment
Live on Bloomberg TV CC-Transcript 00:00Not exactly a household name. What do scale AI do. And how significant is the investment? Yeah, absolutely. Few people have heard outside of the world of technology and of course of this company, but it has grown in prominence. And now, of course, it's making headlines with this potential investment, 0 billion from META, as you say, one of the biggest private sector investments that we would have seen for years. So Scale AI it focuses on one of the three key components that you need to build out large language models, which is data. So you have energy chips and data, though those are the three main components that come together. And scale AI is squarely focused on data. So they train up, or at least they build out quality data that these models then feed in to train on and they hire PhDs and others to help work through that data and quantify it and tag it. So that's essentially the business model. They've also providing their own solutions into enterprise and have been pushing into defence as well. And I think what this deal tells us is a few things. One Meta of course, that Mark Zuckerberg is not going anywhere in terms of its investments around A.I.. They've pledged to invest at least $60 billion this year and 10 billion now for scale A.I.. If this, of course, comes to pass, so Meta is full bore on the focus on AI, particularly as well around data, it's a reminder that data is becoming a key battleground because along with energy and chips getting hold of the data, quality data is becoming increasingly difficult for these large language models. And so there is a fight on that spectrum as well. And then the third part of this, I think, in terms of what it tells us is defence technology Meta is increasingly working with the Pentagon, particularly further around things like virtual helmets and AI infused helmets for the military. And scale AI already has relationships with the Pentagon. So I think it's also a reminder that matter is getting closer in terms of defence technology as well. So on all three levels, I think those are the significance In terms of the deals that came through this company. Scale AI was valued at 14 billion USD back in 2024. You can imagine that that valuation is much higher now. Yeah. And also we've got London Tech Week kicking off today. What's the top of the agenda? Well, I was talking about data and energy and chips while chips will be front and center because Jensen Huang of nvidia will be giving the keynote speech at London Tech week later this morning alongside the Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Nvidia also expected to announce Jensen Huang some investments here in the UK around training the workforce to be able to use these A.I. applications. They've pledged to train about 100,000 people up until about 2030, investing in the R & D space as well in Bristol, Bristol here in the UK. So the focus is going to be on Jensen Huang has to say at that keynote speech and those investments and how the UK is trying to position itself in this AI race versus the US versus China and also as well versus their counterparts across the channel in Paris because France is also hosting Viva Tech, which is a big tech event and Jensen Huang will be going there as well. And France has been able to build out an AI ecosystem with tax cuts. That is something that arguably the UK government be looking for, which is desperate for growth. And there is one solution for this UK government. They hope to drive growth levels higher in the UK.
Tom's Guide
an hour ago
- Tom's Guide
I put Apple vs Google vs Samsung AI photo editing to the test — and there's a clear winner
Editing photos doesn't take years of Photoshop experience anymore to master, as AI-assisted tools in today's best phones make a breeze for anyone. Like really, you could spend a minute using these photo AI-editing tools and the results will make you look like a pro — it's that easy! For the last year, we've seen a barrage of phone makers coming up with different tools and features to make the process seamless and simple. While Google had a head start with Magic Eraser and Magic Editor, it wasn't long before Samsung and Apple came out with their interpretations. While I've found Google's AI-assisted tools to be some of the best I've tested, like how I've found out that Pixel Studio is superior over Apple's Image Playground for image generation, I want to test how well all three phone makers handle the task of erasing subjects from the scene. Whether it's because of something getting in the way of the shot, or that I simply want a less distracting background, these AI-assisted erasing tools are here to save the day. Below, I've taken photos I've captured previously on a phone and put it through each respective AI-assisted photo editing tool to see which does it best — which consists of Apple's Photo Clean Up, Pixel's Magic Editor, and Samsung's Generative Edit. I take a ton of car photos for my reviews, but there are still times when I can't have a completely empty parking lot to myself. Case in point, the shot of the Rivian R1S above, which is cluttered up by the stop signs and an idle car in the background. I will say that all three phone makers did an excellent job of identifying those distractions, but Google and Samsung do it better because Apple cuts off one of the trees to the left, making it look like it's hanging from a slim branch. Between Google and Samsung, I much prefer Google's result because the area to the left it erases isn't as fuzzy compared to Samsung. Winner: Google Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. When I was at the Amazon Alex Plus event back in February, I snapped this shot of Panos Panay with the telephoto zoom camera on my phone, but it couldn't keep out the people nearby directly in front of him. Clearly Apple's Photo Clean Up has trouble with this shot for some reason. Not only couldn't it identify the distracting elements in the shot, but it proceeded to erase parts of Panos in the process — it just couldn't make a proper generation for those areas. Meanwhile, Samsung and Google clearly look at the entire picture to recreate those parts of Panos. When I zoom into his right arm, they both manage to include the subtle folds of his jacket — while adding enough length to the bottom of it. Between the two, I prefer the Samsung recreation because Panos' jacket and shirt are unrealistically flush at the bottom. Winner: Samsung This one cracks me up because yes, I'm asking AI a whole lot with this request. As much as I loved using the EcoFlow PowerHat to charge my phone while on the beach, I was curious to see how AI could handle this complicated shot of removing it — for something else. I will say that Samsung's the easiest to tell exactly what I want to select, plus it does the best at replacing the hat with an interesting hair style. Google comes in second with this one, but I found it slightly more tedious because it couldn't identify the edges of the hat as well, which required me to manually add selections. Although, the hairstyle isn't as convincing. As for Apple? Well, let's say it was a mess. Winner: Samsung All three manage to remove the tree that's right in the middle of the shot. However, Apple's Photo Clean Up was another tedious process that required multiple selections before it was completely removed from the shot. You can see how some of the smudgy remains of the tree still linger around. Google and Samsung are again the better choices for this, but Galaxy AI's ability to identify the tree with one selection isn't just impressive — it puts to shame Apple and Google. I'm surprised about this because Magic Editor still had trouble identifying parts of the tree when I selected it. For this reason, I'm giving it to Samsung. Winner: Samsung For this final test, I tried removing the colorful sign in the middle of the shot. It's a complicated one, just like the previous tree shot, just because it requires AI to generate the proper elements with the building in the background. Again, Apple's Photo Clean Up proves to be the most frustrating because it couldn't identify the sign when I circled it — so I had to constantly swipe small areas before it started to work. Unfortunately, it's a smudgy mess filled with inconsistent generations. In contrast, Google and Samsung manage to recreate those missing elements to make for a realistic shot. Although, they slightly have different results with Google applying an over-sharpening effect — whereas Samsung softens them. Despite this, I still prefer Samsung. Winner: Samsung Samsung clearly has the best AI-assisted tool for erasing unwanted subjects. Not only does it intelligently know what I'm trying to select, but it fills the gap with realism. Google's Magic Eraser does just as good at using generative AI to erase stuff, but it's not as intuitive or smart as Galaxy AI when it comes to identifying what I want to remove. As for Apple? Well, let's say there's a lot of work needed to get it up to par. Even though Samsung convinces me it's the go-to for photo removal, I would still give Google the overall edge because of the amount of AI photo editing tools it offers. Not only does it have the Reimagine feature that lets me use a text box to change certain parts of a photo, but it even has the ability to extend a scene to make it wider — plus other tools such as autoframing, replacing the sky, and more.
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
Apple heads into annual showcase reeling from AI missteps, tech upheaval and Trump's trade war
CUP — After stumbling out of the starting gate in Big Tech's pivotal race to capitalize on artificial intelligence, Apple will try to regain its footing Monday at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference. The pre-summer rite, which attracts thousands of developers to Apple's Silicon Valley headquarters, is expected to be more subdued than the feverish anticipation that surrounded the event during the previous two years.
