Google Maps will attempt to identify what is around you by scanning what your camera sees and comparing it to Street View imagery. If you keep your phone flat, you won't see that view, but you can force it to appear by hitting the pointer icon in the bottom left-hand corner. The directions will start, with the normal voice instructions, but you'll be prompted to lift your phone up to use the augmented reality functions. Once you hit the button, the best route will be calculated as normal, with graphics showing you that the Live View AR system is working. The enchanted and sometimes surreal landscapes of Earth View have the ability. Yet something encoded in us long ago reacts when we see the world at this unprecedented scale. Humans have only been able to see the planet from space for the last 50 years. Tilt your phone up so you're looking through it to see the AR view. Earth View is a collection of thousands of the most striking landscapes found in Google Earth.Tap the "Live View" button at the bottom of the page.Search for a destination you want to walk to.The Live View function is easy to find in Google Maps, but only works with walking directions: Pocket-lint How do I find Google Maps Live View? It's now called Live View in Google Maps. Ultimately, Google Maps AR helps get around that problem of not knowing which way to walk - because the AR can point in the right direction so you're heading the right way. What does that mean? It uses the camera on the rear of the phone to identify where you are, superimposing direction and details on the display, rather than just presenting you with a map.ĪI identifies what you can see, while the GPS helps put in position on the map. Google Maps AR or Live View is designed to let you use augmented reality to help you navigate when walking. Originally called Google Maps AR, the system now appears on compatible devices as Live View, but it's the same overall function, just labelled as Live View in Google Maps on your phone. (Pocket-lint) - Google Maps AR navigation was first demoed at Google I/O in 2018, getting a tease in early 2019 before seeing wider availability in August 2019.