Summary

• Google Maps remains a top choice for navigation with immersive views and excellent tools, constantly evolving for user convenience.
• A new beta update for the app adds 3D buildings to provide a more realistic navigation experience.
• To access the latest features, download beta version or enable 'Show 3D buildings' in settings.

There are a lot of different apps for navigation, but for most, Google Maps has become a staple thanks to its impressive data set, beautiful maps with immersive views, excellent navigational tools, and so much more. What makes Google Maps an easy and go-to choice for most is its ease of use, and for others, it's the constant evolution of the app that keeps it way ahead of others.

It looks like Google is adding new changes to its Maps app once again, this time, making the world more realistic when navigating to a destination. Going forward, users will now have the option to populate maps with 3D buildings when using navigation. While this isn't a huge deal to some, small changes like this can have a huge impact on someone that uses navigation every single day. Furthermore, being able to visually see buildings in 3D can make drivers more aware of their surroundings.

The visuals just keep getting better on Google Maps

While we've heard about these changes in the past, the looks to now be rolling out to some beta users, and was initially spotted by AssembleDebug on X (formerly Twitter) and also those on the Android Police team, with it being a default option in Google Maps version 124 (11.124.0102). Of course, if you're not part of the beta and still want to give it a try, you can always download the app using APKMirror.

Once installed, you'll be able to see the option in the Settings menu, under the Map Display option. A few lines down from the top there should be an option to Show 3D buildings. If it's not enabled, you can tap the toggle to get it active, and should see the changes occur immediately during navigation. As you can see from our sample images above, the 3D buildings aren't distracting at all and just add another element to the navigating experience.

If you're not interested in installing the app from APKMirror and want access to the Google Maps beta, you can always sign up using the link on the Google Play Store. You're going to need to acknowledge that you're going to become a tester and once you approve, you will have access to the beta app. But be forewarned, the option might not pop up immediately, so you'll want to be patient. And if you've never used Google Maps before, give it a try.