Google Maps is transcending its original function as a mere mapping service. On Thursday, August 6th, the tool expanded the Ask Maps feature, known in Brazil as Pergunte ao Maps, enabling users to place food orders from establishments displayed on the map.
Ask Maps was initially implemented in March 2026 and operates based on Gemini technology. It allows the user to interact with Google Maps using natural language, unlike typing specific terms, such as asking 'where is the nearest cafe?' instead of just 'cafe'.
This update makes the artificial intelligence integrated into the service significantly more functional. In addition to checking menus or viewing dish photos, users can now use this dynamic to place orders directly through Ask Maps.
The capabilities go beyond that. If the user does not know exactly where to find a specific type of food, they can activate Ask Maps within Google Maps and issue detailed commands, such as 'order a spicy seafood pad kee mao [Thai noodles] for me to pick up on the way home,' as provided in an example by Google itself.
Upon receiving such a command, Ask Maps will search for restaurants in the route area that offer the desired dish, present options for selection, and subsequently allow the order to be finalized within Google Maps. It is important to note that these orders are mediated by partner platforms, such as Uber Eats.
Other added functionalities include the ability to ask Ask Maps to reserve hotels within a defined price range in a specific location, check events (concerts) near the workplace in the coming days, or inquire about the ideal time to head to the airport from the current location.
In practice, Ask Maps acts as an advanced AI assistant, elevating Google Maps beyond a simple geolocation and route planning tool. The feature already provides real-time information on traffic conditions or impediments on usual routes, such as construction on the commute to work.
With this expansion, the feature has also incorporated a public transport widget, which provides bus arrival predictions, alerts about subway line issues, and indicates which train to take for a specific destination, among other related actions.
The expansion of Ask Maps is already being made available in the United States and other countries where the feature is active, although gradually. Although Google announced Pergunte ao Maps for Brazil in June of this year, it is not yet accessible to all users in the region.
