Google Assistant’s new features make it more useful for travelers

In its CES announcements, Google revealed a bunch of useful updates to Google Assistant including navigation, travel, and translation features. Here are the most notable changes that’ll help you in your daily interaction with Google Assistant.

Use Assistant with maps

Now, Google Maps users on iOS and Android will be able to ask for navigation assistance with their voice. For example, you can say “Hey Google, take me home,” to open Google Maps and get directions for your commute. Additionally, you’ll be able to share your ETA with friends, play music or podcasts, or search places along your route, using just your voice in the Maps app

The travel guide

The 💜 of EU tech

The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!

Google Assistant can now help you check-in to your flight, and save and retrieve your boarding pass. Domestic passengers in the US can say, “Hey Google, check in to my flight” on Android or iOS and Assistant will take care of the necessary steps. It’ll also notify you when the check-in facility becomes available, so you can use your voice or do it manually.

Plus, Google Assistant will help you book your hotel room in the US too. You can say, “Hey Google, I’d like to book the Cambria Hotel in New York on January 12th”, to see pricing and availability, and pay through Google Pay. Google has partnered with chains like Choice Hotels, AccorHotels and InterContinental Hotels Group, as well as travel services such as Priceline, Expedia, Mirai, and Travelclick to offer a wide range of options.

The personal interpreter

Google’s rolling out a cool new Assistant feature to Google Home devices and smart displays: language interpretation with support for a dozen languages. Say “Hey Google, be my French interpreter,” to get real-time spoken or written translations to help you with local languages. This is a neat update, but I hope this trickles down to phones as well, so you can use it on-the-go. A Google spokesperson told VentureBeat that interpretations will be available in 27 languages, and they’ll be rolled out mobile devices later.

 You can check out all the new updates to Google Assistant here.

Want more CES coverage? Head over here.