Finding late-night halal food in Singapore could soon require less scrolling through individual restaurant listings.
Google has begun rolling out Ask Maps in Singapore, an artificial intelligence feature that lets users ask Google Maps detailed questions in everyday language.
For example, someone could ask for the nearest halal eateries that remain open after 10pm. Ask Maps would then suggest suitable places based on their location, opening hours and other information available on Google Maps.
The feature was introduced in Singapore on 7 August 2026, according to The Straits Times.
Ask Maps Can Help You Decide When to Leave
Ask Maps combines Google’s Gemini AI with information from Google Maps, allowing it to handle more complicated requests than a conventional destination search.
Suppose you have a 2pm appointment at Wisma Atria. Instead of separately checking the route, traffic and travel time, you can ask Maps what time you should leave and which transport option to take.
Google says the feature can draw on current traffic conditions and real-time public transport information. Its transit display can also update when delays occur.
Users can ask follow-up questions without repeating their entire request. This makes it possible to narrow down a search conversationally, such as asking for a nearby restaurant before adding that it must be halal, open late and convenient by MRT.
It Can Suggest What to Do Nearby
Ask Maps can also recommend nearby attractions and activities based on specific requirements.
A user could ask where to watch the sunset, what cultural sites can be covered within two hours or whether any comedy shows are happening nearby. Where available, its results may include links for buying tickets.
Users can also use the feature for travel planning, including checking hotel prices and availability and creating routes around their stated interests and available time.
Recommendations may be personalised using information such as places a user has previously searched for, reviewed or saved on Google Maps.
You Can Continue an Earlier Conversation
If the relevant history setting is enabled, Ask Maps can remember earlier conversations.
This means someone planning a holiday can return later and ask Maps to bring up the activities it previously recommended instead of building the itinerary again from zero.
Google has also introduced an optional Personal Intelligence connection. Where supported and manually enabled, this can use details from Gmail, such as a flight or hotel reservation, to make suggestions that fit a user’s existing plans.
Not Everyone Will See It Immediately
Ask Maps is being rolled out progressively in English on Android, iOS and desktop, so some Singapore users may receive it later than others.
Google initially introduced the feature in the United States and India in March 2026. The August expansion covers more than 150 additional countries and territories.
As with any AI-generated recommendation, users should still confirm important details with the business or service involved. Restaurant operating hours, ticket availability and transport conditions can change, while information supplied to Google Maps may occasionally be incomplete or outdated.
