Gemini app adds Map tool for location prompts on Android and iOS; '@' set to replace '/' for skills

Google has added a "Map" tool to the Gemini app on Android and iOS, letting users attach a selected map area to location-based prompts. According to 9to5Google, the tool is widely rolled out. It is mobile-only and not available on the web.

How the Map tool works

The Map tool sits at the end of the prompt-box carousel, after Photos, Camera, Avatar, Files, Drive, and Notebooks. Selecting it opens a live map of the user's current location with a circular focus area.

• Users can pan and zoom in and out.
• A magnifying glass icon in the top-right corner searches for any location.
• After choosing an area, tapping "Explore this area" adds a "Map Area" item to the prompt box.
• Users can then append text to ask about the selected area.

The source does not say which Gemini model handles these prompts, and it gives no usage limits. It also does not say whether the tool is restricted to particular subscription tiers. Pricing is not applicable to this update as reported.

'@' replacing '/' for skills

In Google app beta version 17.63, Gemini is replacing the forward slash ("/") with the "@" symbol to invoke skills. The "@" symbol is already used for Connected Apps, which 9to5Google reports will soon be renamed "Connectors."

Google announced on Wednesday that skills will replace Gems, and that users can activate them with a slash in the prompt box. Entering a slash in the beta now shows this message: "/ is now @. Access your skills, connectors and more from a single place."

The selection box is slightly wider than before. Skills appear first, followed by a shortcut to create new ones. 9to5Google says this change is not widely rolled out yet. It was observed in a beta build and has not been announced by Google as a general release.

Related Gemini app changes

9to5Google points to other recent changes in the app:

• Google has detailed the Gems-to-skills migration, including free access.
• A Google Wallet integration for "personalized insights" is being added.
• A side panel simplification and settings redesign has begun rolling out.

What this means

The Map tool is a UI feature, not a model update. Nothing in the report indicates a new model, context window, or price change. Its value is practical: location is now a structured input in the prompt box, so users no longer have to type addresses or describe areas in text. The tool also sits alongside Drive, Files, and Notebooks in the carousel, which suggests Google is treating context sources as selectable inputs.

The larger shift is in how the app is organized. If "@" becomes the single entry point for skills and connectors, Google is merging what were separate invocation paths into one menu. That fits the replacement of Gems with skills. For users, one trigger character reduces ambiguity. For developers and third-party connector providers, a unified "@" menu could shape how discoverable their integrations are, though Google has not described any such details. Watch for the wider rollout of the "@" change and the official "Connectors" rename.