Google has started rolling out Ask Maps in Malaysia, a Gemini-powered feature that lets you talk to Google Maps in full sentences instead of typing keywords. The rollout is happening in stages, so if you open the app today and see nothing new, your phone is fine. It just has not reached your account yet.

Ask Maps first launched in March 2026 and was initially available in the United States and India. Google is now expanding the feature to more than 160 countries and territories, including Malaysia. However, some of the features shown in Google’s announcement are not part of the Malaysian rollout.

What You Can Ask Maps To Do

Instead of typing “cafe” and scrolling through the results, you can describe what you are looking for in plain language. For example, you could ask Maps to find a restaurant that is quiet enough to have a conversation or suggest a scenic route for a long ride.

To use Ask Maps, tap the Ask Maps button under the search bar in the app. On a computer, open the menu and select Ask Maps.

Ask Maps can also answer questions about places and routes using information from Google Maps. For example, you can ask about disruptions such as roadworks or crashes along your route, or ask how busy a place is before you leave.

Google is also rolling out more personalised answers, allowing Ask Maps to take your previous conversations and preferences into account.

Some Features Still Limited To The United States

Food ordering through Ask Maps is currently available only in the United States. There, you can ask it to find a restaurant along your route that serves what you want, with orders placed through partners such as Square, Toast, and Uber Eats.

The same applies to hotel discovery, where Ask Maps can compare live prices and check availability, as well as event listings with links to buy tickets.

Conversational map edits are also US-only for now. This lets you tell Maps that a shop’s opening hours have changed or upload a photo of a storefront sign, after which it can draft a suggested correction.

Google says these capabilities will reach more countries over time, but has not given a date for when they will be available in Malaysia.

Where It Could Affect Your Travel Costs

For drivers, Ask Maps can flag disruptions such as roadworks or crashes, which may help you avoid an unnecessary detour. You can also ask about places along your route rather than making a separate trip just to find somewhere to eat or shop.

For everyday travel costs, small route changes or extra stops can add up over time, especially when fuel prices are still tied to distance travelled under programmes like BUDI95, where subsidised RON95 is priced at RM1.99 per litre for eligible Malaysians.

Food is another area where Ask Maps could quietly influence spending. Instead of defaulting to delivery apps, you can look for nearby places that are already on your route and pick them up yourself, which helps you avoid extra service and delivery fees. This is especially relevant when a simple meal can become significantly more expensive once delivery charges are added.

What To Check Before You Turn It On

Ask Maps can connect to your Gmail so it can take information such as upcoming flights, hotel bookings, and restaurant reservations into account when answering your questions. This feature is switched off by default for privacy reasons, and Google says Calendar support is expected later.

If you turn it on, Ask Maps can use information from those emails to give more relevant answers. If you would rather keep your email details out of Maps, you can leave the setting switched off.

Another option is to use a navigation app such as Organic Maps, which focuses on offline navigation and does not require you to sign in with an account for its core mapping features.

The rollout happens on Google’s end, so there is no button on your phone that turns Ask Maps on early. You can keep Google Maps updated through the Play Store or App Store and check under the search bar from time to time.

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