We’ve all stood on a crowded street corner, maybe just stepping out of a subway station, phone in hand, trying to figure out which direction to walk. The map shows a blue dot, of course, but the dot doesn’t always feel as helpful as it should.
As someone who loves exploring new cities and wandering unfamiliar neighborhoods on foot, that disorientation is something I’d rather avoid. It’s actually what led me to discover one of Google Maps’ underrated features. If you’ve ever struggled to translate a flat 2D map into the real world around you, Live View might be exactly what you’ve been missing.
- OS
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Android, iOS
- Developer
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Google
Google Maps is a web-based mapping service that provides detailed geographic information, imagery, and real-time navigation for driving, walking, cycling, and public transit.
Walking with Google Maps’ Live View
AR directions that place arrows directly onto the street
Google Maps’ Live View is an augmented reality (AR) feature that overlays directions directly onto your phone’s camera feed. Instead of interpreting an abstract line on a flat map, you hold up your phone and see floating arrows, distance markers, and turn indicators appearing right on the streets in front of you. It feels a lot like having someone point ahead and say, “Go that way,” which makes navigating unfamiliar areas far less confusing.
The feature works by pairing your camera feed with a small map at the bottom of the screen. As you scan your surroundings, Google Maps identifies nearby buildings and landmarks using a machine-learning system called global localization. This helps Live View understand where you are horizontally and how high or low you are relative to the environment, which is useful in cities with steep hills or winding, multi-level walkways.
To activate this feature, open Google Maps, search for a destination, tap Directions, switch to walking mode, and select Live View. Maps will prompt you to point your camera at recognizable buildings and structures so it can pinpoint your location. Focusing on people or trees won’t help you here. Once Maps knows exactly where you are, the large directional arrows appear on the ground around you, guiding you turn by turn. You’ll even see nearby landmarks (like the Pantheon or other major attractions) with floating indicators showing how far away they are.
Live View works best outdoors in well-lit areas and relies on strong Street View coverage. At any point, you can tilt your phone back to a horizontal angle to return to the regular 2D map, then raise it vertically again to jump back into AR mode. Your phone will need to support ARKit (on iPhones) or ARCore (on Android devices), but most modern smartphones from Google, Samsung, OnePlus, and other major manufacturers have this covered.
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When Live View is useful and when it isn’t
At moments it’s a lifesaver, and at times you’re better off with a regular map
If you’re navigating after stepping out of a transit station, Live View can immediately point you in the right direction. Traveling through unfamiliar cities, especially places where street signs are in a language you don’t read, becomes far less stressful when you can rely on big, visible arrows instead of guessing at a map. Live View is also great in chaotic areas like downtown intersections or the Las Vegas Strip, where it’s easy to get turned around. Even when your friends share their location with you, Live View makes it easier to find them because it points out exactly where they are relative to your position.
For all its strengths, though, Live View isn’t perfect, nor is it meant to replace the regular map entirely. Its biggest drawbacks are battery life and heat. AR processing is demanding, and if you use it nonstop, your phone will warm up and drain faster than usual. That’s why it’s best used in short bursts (quickly orienting yourself after a subway exit, checking where to turn in a confusing area, or confirming your direction as you approach your destination) before putting your phone away. It’s not designed for uninterrupted, mile-after-mile navigation, plus you’ll still need to look at the standard map now and then.
There’s also the practicality of using this feature. Walking around with your phone held upright isn’t exactly subtle. In crowds, it can make you stand out more than you’d like, and in low-light situations, Live View may struggle to identify anything at all. And it understandably won’t work inside a moving vehicle; the system depends on stable, recognizable landmarks, not a blur of scenery flying past.
If Live View ever fails to calibrate, the fix is usually simple: step into better lighting, make sure you’re outdoors, and aim your camera at actual buildings instead of trees or people. Once the app locks onto your surroundings, everything tends to work smoothly from that point forward.
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Worth keeping in mind when walking somewhere new
Getting lost while exploring a new place is part of the adventure, but so is the relief of finally figuring out where you’re going. Live View won’t always deliver that moment of clarity, but more often than not, it’ll save you from unnecessary confusion. Use it to get your bearings quickly, then put your phone away and give yourself room to experience the city around you.
So, the next time you step outside and have no idea which direction to take, remember that Live View is just a tap away.