At the same time, the company is rolling out a redesigned navigation system that shows routes in a more detailed 3D view and offers clearer driving guidance.

The update was announced on Thursday and affects both exploration and driving features in the mapping service.

Google says the new tool, called Ask Maps, allows people to search for places using natural language. Instead of typing short queries, users can ask full questions about real-world situations.

For example, someone could ask where to charge a dying phone without waiting in a coffee shop queue. Another query might be about public tennis courts with lights available at night.

The feature can also help with trip planning. A user heading to locations such as the Grand Canyon, Horseshoe Bend and Coral Dunes could ask for recommended stops along the route. Maps then provides directions, estimated travel times and suggestions drawn from reviews and tips shared by other users.

Google says the answers are personalised as the system uses signals from a person’s past searches and saved locations in their account. If someone often searches for vegan restaurants, the service may prioritise restaurants with vegan options when suggesting places to meet friends.

The company says the feature draws on information from more than 300 million places listed in Maps and reviews contributed by over 500 million community members.

Ask Maps is now rolling out in the United States and India on Android and iOS devices. Google says desktop access will follow later.

Alongside the conversational tool, Google is also updating the app’s navigation system with a new experience called Immersive Navigation.

The update brings a 3D view that reflects nearby buildings, overpasses and terrain. It also highlights important road details, including lanes, traffic lights, crosswalks and stop signs, giving drivers a clearer sense of their surroundings.

Maps will also provide a wider preview of the route ahead. Smart zoom features and transparent buildings help drivers prepare for lane changes or difficult turns earlier.

Voice instructions are also changing. Instead of standard directions, the app now provides more natural guidance. For example, drivers approaching a highway exit may hear instructions such as, “Go past this exit and take the next one for Illinois 43 South.”

In addition, the system explains alternative routes and the trade-offs involved. A longer route with lighter traffic or a faster route that includes toll roads may both appear, allowing drivers to choose.

The app will also alert drivers to disruptions along their route, including crashes or road construction. Google says these updates rely on information shared by users across both Maps and Waze communities.

Before starting a trip, users can preview their destination using Street View imagery. Maps can suggest parking areas and, as drivers get closer, highlight the correct entrance to a building and the side of the street where it is located.

“Our team set out to redesign the driving experience with the objective of taking the guesswork out of trips,” said Miriam Daniel during a briefing with reporters.

 “Immersive navigation is a complete transformation of the navigation experience. It’s got redesigned visuals, fresh real-world information that’s brought to you just in time, and more intuitive guidance.”

Immersive Navigation begins rolling out in the United States from Thursday. Google says the feature will gradually reach supported Android and iOS devices, as well as Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and vehicles with Google built-in systems.

Google had already begun integrating Gemini into Maps last year. That earlier update allowed the assistant to answer questions about locations along a route and use landmarks identified through Street View imagery to improve navigation directions.

Over the past two decades, it’s become an essential tool for more than 2 billion monthly users, providing both comprehensive information and a vibrant community for sharing knowledge.

Google Maps isn’t simply a map; it’s a dynamic platform shaping users’ understanding of the world. Its rich and up-to-date information empowers users to confidently navigate, wherever their journey takes them.

Its evolution has brought a wealth of features to enhance every journey. Need a little inspiration? Ask Maps, powered by Gemini, for curated ideas on where to go.

Travelling?

The “Directory” tab helps you explore what’s available in airports.

Want to get your bearings quickly? Augmented reality allows you to understand an area at a glance.

Even everyday tasks, like finding the cheapest petrol station nearby, are made easier with Google Maps.

In Nigeria, Google Maps has been instrumental in helping people discover new places and navigate with confidence.

To mark this 20th anniversary, Google is unveiling the top reviewed places in Nigeria, showcasing the locations that have captured the hearts of Nigerian users.

These lists offer fascinating insights into popular choices for restaurants, cafes, visitor attractions, parks, and museums across the country.

According to Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, communications and public affairs manager, Google West Africa,

“Google Maps has evolved from a basic mapping tool to a dynamic platform that helps people explore, navigate, and discover new experiences. The top reviewed locations in Nigeria highlight the places that have captured the interest and attention of our users.”

Most Reviewed Restaurants

Most Reviewed Museums

Most Reviewed Parks

Most Reviewed Visitor Attractions

Most Reviewed Cafes

Which of the reviews impressed you most?

With the latest updates rolling out on Feb 26, 2024, Android users can look forward to a range of new features designed to simplify daily tasks and maximize efficiency across devices.

Enhanced safety on the road is a primary focus of the updates, with Android Auto introducing a feature leveraging AI to summarize lengthy texts and busy group chats while driving.

This functionality promotes safer driving practices and also allows users to respond promptly with suggested replies and actions, all accessible with a single tap.

Accessibility is made better with the introduction of image captions in Lookout on Android, empowering users with visual impairments by providing AI-generated descriptions of photos and online images.

This inclusive feature, now available globally in English, enhances accessibility and enriches the digital experience for all users.

Lens in Maps receives an accessibility enhancement with enhanced screen reader support, enabling users to explore nearby locations and identify points of interest with greater ease. In leveraging TalkBack, users can receive audible information about businesses, restaurants, ATMs, and transit stations simply by pointing their phone’s camera.

Collaborative document review will become more intuitive and efficient with Google Docs markups on Android, allowing users to add handwritten annotations directly from their mobile devices using finger or stylus input.

With a variety of markup tools available, reviewing documents and providing feedback becomes more intuitive and efficient than ever before.

Android users can now seamlessly switch between devices while listening to Spotify, thanks to new casting controls integrated into the output switcher on the home screen. This enhancement ensures uninterrupted listening experiences across various media playback devices.

The redesigned Fitbit app on Android provides users with a holistic view of their health and wellness data by integrating information from connected wearables and apps like AllTrails, Oura Ring, and MyFitnessPal.

With data consolidated in one place, users can easily monitor their exercise, steps, calories burned, and more.

Google Wallet passes now extend to Wear OS smartwatches, allowing users to access boarding passes, event tickets, gym memberships, and loyalty cards directly from their wrists. Users can customize which passes to display for quick and convenient access whenever needed.

Google Maps for Wear OS introduces public transit directions, enabling users to check departure times and receive compass-guided navigation directions directly from their smartwatches. Whether on foot or using public transportation, users can stay informed and navigate with ease.

Google Messages now leverages Gemini, a virtual assistant accessible within the app for drafting messages, brainstorming ideas, planning events, or engaging in casual conversations. This feature, available in beta in English, enhances the messaging experience and streamlines communication tasks.

Android is utilizing cutting-edge technology and user-centric design principles to help users achieve more and stay connected securely.

Dr. Juliet Ehimuan, one of the most prominent African women in tech and an instrumental leader in Google’s regional growth, has announced her departure from the company.

A respected figure in the tech industry and key player in Google’s African initiatives, Ehimuan announced her departure via LinkedIn, stating her intent to take on a broader role within the regional tech landscape.

She unveiled plans to collaborate with corporate executives, global investors, African governments and startup founders to drive growth, excellence and digital transformation within the African tech ecosystem and the broader business landscape.

Ehimuan’s departure marks a significant transition for Google in Africa. During her tenure – first as Country Director for Nigeria and then Director for West Africa – Ehimuan led her team in driving transformative digital initiatives.

From the successful Get Nigeria Businesses Online project, to strategic partnerships and deployment & localisation of key products like Google Maps, Streetview, and YouTube.ng; her leadership has enabled a profound and far-reaching impact on the region’s tech ecosystem.

One of the pivotal moments under her stewardship was the inaugural Google for Africa event in Lagos in 2012, where Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced the landmark commitment to train 10 million Africans in digital skills, 100,000 developers in-depth web and mobile development skills, and a Google for Startups accelerator for Africa to support African tech entrepreneurs.

These initiatives underline Ehimuan’s dedication to nurturing the next generation of technology leaders in Africa.

Over the last 12 years, the continent has become increasingly important to Google’s global strategy and a destination for significant investment.

Indeed, Google has committed increasing sums to growing Africa’s tech ecosystem – including $50 million for growth-stage startups through the Africa investment Fund in early 2020 and $1 billion toward Africa’s digital transformation in 2021.

Ehimuan’s tenure also saw the execution of high-priority access projects such as the expansion of the Google Station program in Nigeria and the landing of Google’s Equiano fibre cable in Lagos.

These initiatives have played a significant role in making the internet more accessible and affordable for millions of people in Nigeria and beyond.

Ehimuan joined Google with a strong background in strategy and technology and her contributions to ICT policy and strategy have been critical. She has been a key player in the development of policies that have fostered investment and infrastructure growth in the Nigerian tech ecosystem. Her leadership in high-profile committees like the National Economic Summit Group (NESG) and the Presidential Committee that created the national broadband plan in 2019 has been instrumental in shaping the ICT strategy of the region.

As Ehimuan turns the page to the next chapter of her career, she is set to leverage her wealth of experience and network to drive digital transformation across the continent in a broader role.

Ehimuan’s passion for leadership development and personal excellence coaching will continue to have a global impact through her 30 Days of Excellence program. Based on her book ’30 Days of Excellence’ published in 2020, this program, which rolled out within Google over the last 18 months, is set to continue its global expansion.

Today, we want to look at how AI already powers Google’s core products that help billions of people every day.

ALSO READ: An Important Next Step on Our AI Journey | by Sundar Pichai

Here are nine ways Google uses AI, today, to make the products even more helpful, including some of the recently announced features:

1. Search

When Google was founded, most searches happened on computers in homes, computer labs or libraries. Twenty-five years later, AI is making it possible to search in new languages, with new inputs (like searching with your camera, or even humming a tune) and even multiple inputs at once.

And now thanks to multisearch, you can search with images and text at the same time with the Google app.

So next time you’re inspired by an interesting wallpaper pattern, you can just snap a photo and add text to find that pattern on a shirt.

The ability to multisearch is powered by the latest in computer vision and language understanding techniques.

2. Google Maps

The product uses AI to analyze data and provide up-to-date information about traffic conditions and delays — sometimes helping you avoid a traffic jam altogether. Now with an immersive view, Google Maps fuses together billions of Street View and aerial images to create a rich, digital model of the world – letting you truly experience a place before you ever step foot inside.

With AI, we use 2D images of a venue to generate a highly accurate, 3D representation that models the true complexity of what a place is like – so you can see if a restaurant has great lighting for a date night or an awesome outdoor seating area.

3. Translate uses AI and machine learning to break down language barriers and allow people to connect across the world.

Google is continuing to push state of the art ML-driven translation, now with 133 languages supported. And we’ve expanded the number of languages available on-device in the Translate app as well, with 33 new available to use whether you have a network connection or are traveling without one, including Basque, Corsican, Hawaiian, Hmong, Kurdish, Latin, Luxembourgish, Sundanese, Yiddish and Zulu, among others, to make helpful translations more accessible and less network-dependent.

4. AI helps your Pixel phone instantly translate between 21 languages in chat, as well as facilitate a verbal conversation between 6 different languages in Interpreter Mode. It’s also what enables Magic Eraser to remove distractions from photos.

5. People take a lot of photos but an abundance of pics makes it easy for memories to get buried. So back in 2015, we developed AI in Google Photos to help you search for photos by what’s in them. And more recently, Google have used AI in Photos to help you revisit forgotten “Memories.”

6. YouTube uses AI to automatically generate captions for videos, making them more accessible to a wider audience, including those who are deaf or hard of hearing.

7. Human beings speak like…human beings. For a long time, computers did not. The Natural Language Processing (NLP) AI technology developed for Assistant allows it to understand and respond in a way that mimics human communication — which allows it to parse the text of your question that tries to identify the meaning of your question.

So AI is what enables your phone, your Home, your TV, or your car to understand what you mean by “Hey Google, where’s the closest dog park” — and quickly get you directions.

8. Gmail

We’re all familiar with features like autocomplete and spell check, both of which are powered by AI. But if you’ve ever wondered why Gmail is less spammy than other email services — look to AI.

Google’s spam-filtering capabilities are powered by AI, and they block nearly 10 million spam emails every minute — and prevent more than 99.9% of spam, phishing attempts and malware from reaching you.

9. Google Arts & Culture’s “Woolaroo” helps 17 global language communities to preserve, expand and share their language with you.

By applying machine learning, Woolaroo can recognize objects in front of your camera and propose translations for them – promoting language learning and preservation for heritage including Mãori, Louisiana Creole and Yiddish.

Last year, the shared the vision for the future of Google Maps — an immersive, intuitive map that reimagines how you explore and navigate, while helping you make more sustainable choices.

“Today (Wednesday) we’re demonstrating how AI is bringing this vision to life, with updates for immersive view and Live View, along with new features for electric vehicle (EV) drivers and people who walk, bike or ride public transit”, Chris Phillips, VP & General Manager, Geo at Google, said.

Immersive view: What is it all about?

Sometimes, before you travel, you hit the app to reserve a hotel room and you felt like ‘how possible is it for me to have a feel of the room: the ambiance, decors, etc., before booking’. Well, you may not need to worry more about this very soon as Immersive View by Google Maps offer an entirely new way to explore a place — letting you feel like you’re right there, even before you visit.

Using advances in AI and computer vision, immersive view fuses billions of Street View and aerial images to create a rich, digital model of the world. And it layers helpful information on top like the weather, traffic, and how busy a place is.

“Say you’re planning a visit to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. You can virtually soar over the building and see where things like the entrances are. With the time slider, you can see what the area looks like at different times of day and what the weather will be like. You can also spot where it tends to be most crowded so you can have all the information you need to decide where and when to go. If you’re hungry, glide down to the street level to explore nearby restaurants — and even take a look inside to quickly understand the vibe of a spot before you book your reservation”, Phillips explained.

“To create these true-to-life scenes, we use neural radiance fields (NeRF), an advanced AI technique, transforms ordinary pictures into 3D representations. With NeRF, we can accurately recreate the full context of a place including its lighting, the texture of materials and what’s in the background. All of this allows you to see if a bar’s moody lighting is the right vibe for a date night or if the views at a cafe make it the ideal spot for lunch with friends.

“Immersive view starts rolling out today in London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Tokyo. And in the coming months, it’ll launch in even more cities, including in Amsterdam, Dublin, Florence and Venice”.

Explore and navigate your environment with AR — indoors and out

“Search with Live View uses AI and augmented reality to help you find things around you — like ATMs, restaurants, parks and transit stations — just by lifting your phone while you’re on the street. You can see helpful information, like when a place is open, if it’s busy right now, and how highly it’s rated – so you can make an informed decision and maximize your time. We recently launched search with Live View in London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, San Francisco and Tokyo. In the coming months, we’ll start expanding this feature to Barcelona, Dublin and Madrid”.

“Augmented reality can be especially helpful when navigating tricky places, like an unfamiliar airport. In 2021, we introduced indoor Live View in the U.S., Zurich and Tokyo to help with just that. It uses AR-powered arrows to point you in the right direction so you can quickly find the closest restrooms, lounges, taxi stands, car rentals and more with confidence.

“Now, we’re embarking on the largest expansion of indoor Live View to date, bringing it to more than 1,000 new airports, train stations, and malls in Barcelona, Berlin, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Melbourne, Paris, Prague, São Paulo, Singapore, Sydney, and Taipei in the coming months.

Make driving an EV easy

“We’re also seeing more drivers and auto companies move toward electric vehicles. As a result, we’re introducing new Maps features for EV drivers with vehicles that have Google built-in.

• Adding charging stops to shorter trips:On any trip that’ll require a charging stop, Maps will suggest the best stop based on factors like current traffic, your charge level and expected energy consumption. Now you can worry less about remembering to charge, no matter where you’re headed. And if you don’t want to visit that particular station, you can easily swap it with another one with just a few taps.
• Very fast charging stations: The ‘very fast’ charging filter will help you easily find stations that have chargers of 150 kilowatts or higher. For many cars, this can give you enough power to fill up and get back on the road in less than 40 minutes.
• Charging stations in search results: We’ll also show you in search results when places like a supermarket have charging stations on-site. So if you’re on your way to pick up groceries, you can more easily choose a store that also lets you charge your car there.

“No matter what mode of transportation you’re taking — whether you’re walking, biking or taking public transit — we’re making it even easier for you to get around.

“With glanceable directions, you can track your journey right from your route overview or lock screen. You’ll see updated ETAs and where to make your next turn — information that was previously only visible by unlocking your phone, opening the app and using comprehensive navigation mode. And if you decide to take another path, we’ll update your trip automatically. These glanceable directions start rolling out globally on Android and iOS in the coming months, and will also be compatible with Live Activities on iOS 16.1.

“These are just a few ways that AI is helping us reimagine the future of Google Maps — making it more immersive and sustainable for people around the world”.

When will Immersive View be available in Africa?

Google Maps is very much aware that we need technologies like the Immersive View. So, the roll out has started with 1000 locations in some select countries listed above. The company has also considered rolling out in Africa and other continent, because the team keeps taking review while improving on the AI as they continue to roll out.

Therefore, it is our view that Google Maps Immersive View would have become a robust technology by the time it is rolled out in the African region.

Today, it has expanded to more than 100 countries and territories around the world and captured more than 10 million miles of imagery–a distance that could circle the globe more than 400 times!

To celebrate Street View’s 15th anniversary, Google Maps has released data which shows the most clicked beaches, museums and general points of interest in Nigeria over the past 12 months. 

Google Street View revealed that the most clicked beach in Nigeria over the past year is  Oniru Beach Resort, a privately owned beach resort located in Lagos, Nigeria. 

Other top beaches clicked in Nigeria in the past year are Elegushi Royal Beach and Marwa Beach; both also located in Lagos State.

The National Museum in Benin City , Edo State, famous for its terracotta, bronze and cast iron artifacts related to the Benin Empire was the most clicked on museum in Nigeria in the past year.

In second and third positions are the National War Museum in Umuahia, Abia State which showcases the military history of Nigeria with relics from the Biafra-Nigerian Civil War and Kalakuta Museum in Ikeja, Lagos which preserves the artifacts of the legendary King of Afrobeat, Fela Kuti.

All in Lagos State, the Bariga Waterfront Jetty, Nike Art Gallery, and Lekki Conservation Centre, were the three most clicked on places of interest in the country.

Other places of interest identified by citizens in Nigeria include the University of Ibadan, in Oyo State and University of Benin in Edo State.

Globally, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, received the most clicks for any other place of interest, followed by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France and the Taj Mahal in India.  

Here are the lists of the top clicked on museums, beaches and points of interests in Nigeria over the past twelve months:

As Will Smith says in the underrated romantic comedy Hitch, “Life is not the amount of breaths you take, it’s the moments that take your breath away”.

So, here are five Google resources you can use to plan the perfect Valentine’s Day and show your significant other the love and appreciation they deserve:

1. Book a romantic getaway

With several countries and airlines recently announcing an ease in travel restrictions , Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to spoil yourself and your significant other with a dream trip to a romantic destination.

Make this Valentine’s extra special and explore the best locations for a couple’s escape, find the best flights, hotels, vacation rentals, and romantic activities you can do with your partner using Google Travel which can help you easily plan every aspect of your getaway.

2. Find the perfect spot for an unforgettable date night

Looking to treat your partner to a candlelit dinner, a romantic picnic in the park, or a night out at the movies but don’t know where to go that’s outside of your usual stomping grounds?

With Google Maps you can find new places, restaurants and experiences right at your fingertips using features such as the Explore tab which provides you with a list of local locations and activities to choose from.

Narrow down your search by using the search bar. Once you’ve found what you’re looking for you can use the star rating for that location, find its distance from where you are, locate opening and closing times, as well as photos and reviews from people who have visited before it.

You can then save that location and select it on the day to easily navigate the best routes that will get you there on time without hitting traffic or congestion.

3. Prepare an intimate evening with your distanced partner

Unfortunately, whether it be because of work or you’re just in a long distance relationship, you might not be able to be with your significant other on Valentine’s Day. But, being apart on the most romantic day of the year doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate the day with them at all.

With video-conferencing platforms like Google Meet you can video chat with your better half and spend some quality time together, even while you’re apart.

If you want to go the extra mile to make your video call special, you can liaise with their friends or family to set up some rose petals, candles, food and drinks to create a romantic atmosphere where they are in time for your special call.

4. Set the mood with an enchanting (or passionate) playlist

If you want to set the right mood on Valentine’s Day, then you need to create a romantic ambience and nothing does this better than music. But, nothing takes you out of the mood faster than when the wrong song plays.

To make sure you’ve set up the right atmosphere, for the day or night, whether you’re on your way out or having a romantic night in, create a playlist on YouTube Music by simply opening YouTube, find and click on the video you want to add, select save under the video and click on “create new playlist”.

You can then name your new playlist and make it either public or private and easily add new videos to your playlist from the dropdown menu.

YouTube Music also allows you to collaborate on a playlist with someone and this could be a nice activity for the two of you.

5. Get the perfect gift to show your affection

No Valentine’s Day is complete without a gift for your sweetheart. Whether you’re simply looking to get your other half some chocolates and flowers, or something a little more extravagant to spoil them, you can quickly find the perfect gift at the best price on Google Shopping – even if you’ve forgotten and need to get something for them at the last minute!

If Google Search Trends are anything to go by, it’s clear that Nigerians love love from these top trending Valentine’s Day-related search trends for the past year.

Search trends information is gleaned from data collated by Google based on what Nigerians have been searching for and asking Google.

Google processes more than 40 000 search queries every second. This translates to more than a billion searches per day and 1.2 trillion searches per year, worldwide.

‘Top searches’ indicate searches that topped Google’s charts while ‘Most searched’ queries are the most popular terms for the past 15 years, ranked in order by volume of searches. Live search data is available on the Google Nigeria Trends site.

The Google Maps User Contributed Content Policy is aimed at ensuring that information on Google Maps is reliable by protecting both individuals and businesses from policy violations.

Much of the work done to prevent inappropriate content is done behind the scenes, so today Google is shedding more light on what happens after you hit “post” on a review.

With more than 1 billion people turning to Google Maps every month to navigate and explore, Google aims to make sure the information they see, especially reviews, is reliable for everyone.

They have created the Maps User Contributed Policy to make sure reviews are based on real-world experiences and to keep irrelevant and offensive comments off of Google Business Profile.

Google will use machine learning models to moderate millions of reviews uploaded using the Google Business Profile tool while its staff will identify the subtle distinction or variation of various expressions of individual posts.

Machines identify patterns to determine if content is legitimate. Other issues flagged by machines include offensive or off-topic content, any Google account with a history of suspicious behaviour, places with uncharacteristic activity such as an abundance of reviews over a short period of time about a particular place or business or any place that has received recent news or social media coverage that would motivate people to leave fraudulent reviews.

Businesses detecting policy-violating reviews on their profiles can alert Google via the How to remove reviews from your Business Profile on Google while individual Map users can report any violation via the Flag and fix inappropriate content portal.

This will see the offensive content removed, user accounts  suspended or in some instances litigation being pursued.

Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Communications and Public Affairs Manager, West Africa, said: “We’re dedicated to keeping reviews on Google Maps authentic and reliable to protect local businesses from fraud and abuse, and keep the information helpful for users. Over the past couple of years, through the Local Guides program we have developed easy tools that allow people to help contribute to Maps so others can more easily and accurately explore their world.”

Local Guides help millions worldwide discover new places by sharing local knowledge and experiences. They share reviews, photos, and knowledge on Google Maps and influence how millions of people navigate and explore the world. Their contributions inform people about what matters to them, make it easier for them to find what they need, and help support small businesses.

Google Business Profile is an easy-to-use tool for businesses and organisations to manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps. This helps customers individual businesses, enable business owners to tell their story, verify their businesses and edit their online business information.

Google’s mission is to organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. Through products and platforms like Search, Maps, Gmail, Android, Google Play, Chrome and YouTube, Google plays a meaningful role in the daily lives of billions of people and has become one of the most widely-known companies in the world. Google is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc.

Parents, who are just settling back to work after the restful holiday, face a multiple tasks such as  beating  morning traffic to get their children to school on time, making sure that daily school supplies are lined up and ready to use,  while also taking time out of their busy schedules to help their children with homework, among other things.

For parents trying to ease their ‘Back to School’ stress, here are five ways that technology can help:

1. Set reminders with Assistant:

Setting reminders is a smart way to remember all the things that are important for school- from lunches to school events.

You can easily create reminders with the help of Google Assistant. Using your mobile device or phone, simply say, “Hey Google, set a reminder”, or “Hey Google, remind me to dry clean my children’s uniform at noon tomorrow.”  Google Assistant will go on to set a reminder and send you a notification when it is close to the time.

2. Beat the traffic with Maps:

Still on ‘Back to School’ You can get real-time information about traffic jams and delays using Google Maps, helping to plan better routes for school runs.

Parents preparing to take their children to school every morning can make use of Google Maps to check for alternative routes and the Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) to ensure they get to school before the bell rings.

3. Complete homework with Search:

Not all parents are subject matter experts but they do often have to play the role of designated tutor, or help out with homework.

In some cases, parents have forgotten  how to solve  simple math problems or they may not have the answers to some basic science questions.

A quick search on Google can help find solutions to difficult questions. Parents should however allow their children to generate the answers to their homework questions before searching Google for the answer.

4. Watch video tutorials on YouTube:

YouTube is great for watching explanatory videos that are fun, informative and educational. For example, parents can watch videos that reveal how to solve a quadratic equation and brush up their knowledge to help their children with their homework.

There are also a variety of educational videos for children that can help parents tutor children who wish to learn more beyond their school work.

5. Keep kids safe with Family Link:

Children today spend more time online than ever before. As such, it is important to help them develop healthy online habits and make sure they are protected from ills such as online predators and cyber bullies.

Family Link allows parents to set digital rules to help guide their children as they learn and explore online.

The app helps children make good decisions about what they do on their devices and even shows teacher-recommended apps that can be added to their devices.

When we talk about Back to School, it can be overwhelming for parents to balance their own professional endeavours with the demands of their children’s rigorous education but technology can sometimes help to lighten the load.