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Google Expeditions App Now Supports Solo Trips

Google is adding a solo mode to Expeditions for Android, so anyone can visit the Taj Mahal or Machu Picchu in virtual reality, whenever they like.

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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Google is making its Expeditions virtual field trip app a lot more accessible by adding a solo mode to Expeditions for Android. Now anyone can visit the Taj Mahal, Machu Picchu, the Seven Modern Wonders of the World, or the Great Barrier Reef in virtual reality, whenever they like.

Google launched Expeditions in June 2016; the app works with Google Cardboard, letting teachers take their classes on "immersive virtual journeys" to national monuments, coral reefs, even the surface of Mars without ever leaving their desks. But Google Software Engineer Jiabei Lei said in a Wednesday blog post that students, teachers, and others have been requesting Expeditions for outside of the classroom. Now it's possible, and users can choose from more than 600 different tours.

"Self-Guided Expeditions let anyone explore anywhere," Lei wrote. "Students can go on tours at home and share the experience with their family. Teachers can assign tours as homework to complement in-class work. And of course, anybody who loves to learn and explore can experience all the tours for themselves."

The app also works with Google's Daydream View VR headset, as long as you have a Daydream-ready phone. When you fire up the app, you can now take tours as an Explorer or Guide.

"As an Explorer, you experience the tour on your own, and you'll see points of interest highlighted with more information about the incredible sights you're seeing," Lei explained. "Guide mode is especially handy if you're a teacher and you want to preview a tour before leading your students on it."

Meanwhile, Google is also adding an annotations tool that lets Guides draw within a scene using their finger. This way, teachers can highlight specific things they want their students to pay attention to.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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