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Gemini’s new Map tool lets Android and iOS users select a place or area on a live map and attach it to a prompt. Separately, Google is testing a change that replaces the “/” shortcut for skills with “@,” bringing skills and app connectors into one menu. The Map tool was reported widely rolled out on October 2, 2026; the “@” change was still limited to a beta at that point.
What the Gemini Map tool does
Map is a mobile prompt tool, not a separate desktop mapping experience. It opens a live map, lets you choose an area, then adds that selection as context for a question to Gemini. 9to5Google reported its availability on Android and iOS, but not the web, on October 2, 2026. 9to5Google’s report
How to select an area and ask about it
- Open the Gemini app on Android or iOS and open the tool carousel.
- Tap Map, shown at the end of the carousel alongside Photos, Camera, Avatar, Files, Drive, and Notebooks.
- Pan and zoom the live map to choose an area. The map opens centered on your current location; use the magnifying-glass control to search for a different one.
- Tap Explore this area. Gemini inserts Map Area into the prompt.
- Add your question or instruction to the prompt and submit it.
The map selection supplies geographic context to the prompt; it does not turn the web version into a map interface. The report does not establish that the feature is available to every account or app version.
What changes when “/” becomes “@”
In Google app beta version 17.63, 9to5Google observed a change to the shortcut that opens skills. Typing “/” displays: “/ is now @. Access your skills, connectors and more from a single place.” The observed menu is wider, places skills first, and includes a shortcut for creating a skill. Google had not widely rolled out this change as of the report. 9to5Google’s beta report
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| Shortcut | What it opens | Availability reported |
|---|---|---|
| “/” | Skills menu in the existing interface | Being replaced in Google app beta 17.63; this is not a new Gemini model feature. 9to5Google |
| “@” | A shared menu for skills and connectors; the shortcut already invoked Connected Apps, which Google says will be renamed Connectors | Observed in beta 17.63 and not widely rolled out as of October 2, 2026. 9to5Google |
How skills and connectors fit together
Skills replace Gems for reusable instructions
Google describes skills as reusable instructions for recurring work. They can be used directly in chats and combined with other skills for larger tasks. Google’s Workspace documentation describes an open, Markdown-based SKILL.md format and says skills can work across supported surfaces. Google’s skills announcement · Google Workspace Help
Connectors bring other services into Gemini
Connectors are the renamed Connected Apps entry point. In a September 23, 2026 post, Mai Lowe, Group Product Manager for the Gemini app, wrote, “We are bringing more of your favorite apps directly into Gemini.” Google listed productivity services Airtable, Linear, monday.com, PandaDoc, Wispr AI, and Zoho; creative services Adobe, Picsart, Squarespace, and Webflow; and lifestyle services Apartments.com, Experian, Peloton, and SeatGeek. Google says users can connect apps in Gemini settings or bring them into a chat with an @ mention. Google’s Connected Apps announcement
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The “@” menu therefore brings two kinds of tools together: saved instructions (skills) and connected services (connectors). The slash-to-at-sign change is an interface and discovery update, not evidence of a new model or of a change to what Gemini can accurately answer.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When skills replace Gems: rollout dates
Google Workspace Help, last updated September 30, 2026, lists staged dates for Workspace and Gemini-app skills, followed by changes to where Gems appear and when they may be removed. These are scheduled rollout milestones, not proof that every user receives the feature on the first date; availability can depend on account and rollout channel. Google Workspace Help
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| Change | Published timing |
|---|---|
| Workspace skills rollout, Rapid Release domains | Begins October 5, 2026; rollout listed as completing by mid-November 2026 |
| Workspace skills rollout, Scheduled Release domains | Begins October 19, 2026; rollout listed as completing by mid-November 2026 |
| Skills rollout in the Gemini app for all users | Begins October 13, 2026; rollout listed as completing by mid-November 2026 |
| Gems move to Settings in the Gemini app | November 17, 2026 |
| Business and enterprise Gems removal | No sooner than March 1, 2027 |
| Education Gems removal | No sooner than June 1, 2027 |
What to check if you do not see Map or “@”
- For Map: use the Gemini mobile app on Android or iOS, then check the tool carousel. The October 2 report describes the feature as widely rolled out, but does not say it is on the web or universal across accounts.
- For “@”: the change was still limited in Google app beta 17.63 and was not widely rolled out in the October 2 report. Its absence in your app does not mean the feature is broken.
- For skills and Gems: check whether your account is a Workspace account and, for Workspace, whether its domain follows Rapid Release or Scheduled Release. Google’s published dates differ by channel and account category.
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