Before the invention of GPS applications, if you wanted to go to a new place, you had to open a large notebook full of names and symbols; Then, after you found your way, you either wrote down the road you wanted on paper or memorized your route. Today we have Google Maps, which helps a billion people a month find where they are and get them where they want to go.
There’s more to Google Maps than getting directions or finding a kebab restaurant open at 9pm. Here are 10 useful and little-known Google Maps tips and features.
We used an Android phone to review our Google Maps tips. If you’re using an Apple device, Google Maps for iOS is similar to the Android app, so you’ll have no trouble keeping up.
Add a stop on Google Maps
Getting from point A to point B with Google Maps has been part of the service’s core functionality, as it’s only available on desktop browsers. However, you can add multiple destinations to your trip. For example, if you’re driving from Kansas City to Denver, it’s easy to plan a stop in Cawker City to see the World’s Largest Ball of Twine.
On the table
- Add destinationClick .
- Enter a new travel destination.
- Click and drag to the left of the targets to reorder your stops.
On your Android phone or iPhone
- Google MapsOpen .
- Three points Tap the menu.
- Add stopSelect .
- Enter a new destination.
- Tap and drag the icon with the two bars to the right of the stop to reorder.
How to send directions to your phone
One of the great things about Google Maps is its seamless interface between its browser and mobile apps. The best example is to plan a route on your computer and send it to your phone.
- After plotting your route, in the left panel Send directions to your phoneClick .
- Choose whether you want directions to be sent as email, text message, or via your Google account.
- If you chose text message or email, a link will be sent for you to click to open the app and view the route.
- If you sent it to your phone via your Google account, you’ll receive a notification that opens the Google Maps app on your device and uploads your route.
Access Google Maps offline
You always have the chance to stay out of coverage while traveling. To overcome this, do not give your hard earned money to Big Map. Instead, download a map for offline use.
- Google MapsOpen .
- Search for a location on your phone.
- Tap the name of the city or drag it up from the bottom of the screen.
- three-dot menu choose.
- Download offline mapTap .
Download maps of the areas you plan to visit when traveling internationally or taking a long trip. Carriers often have limited international coverage, and some Android phones have limited band support by region.
Maps will show you the area it will download. You can zoom in or out to decrease or increase the recorded area and drag to change the area. At the bottom of the screen you can see how much storage the map takes up on your phone.
Get real-time location information on Google Maps
Traditional maps are fixed in time and show what happened forever. One of the advantages of Google Maps is that it is constantly updated. And not just with new ways and business information. It also shows current traffic so you can use a shortcut to get to your destination or give your friends an accurate estimated time of arrival.
On the table
- Hover over the Layers icon in the lower left corner.
- Traffic Click the icon.
Green is for light traffic, yellow is for medium traffic and red is for heavy traffic.
To see how busy a business or public space is in your browser:
- Choose a business or location.
- Slide the side menu to Popular times.
On your Android phone or iPhone
- Google MapsOpen .
- in the upper right corner Overlay Tap the icon.
- Traffic Tap the icon.
Green is for light traffic, yellow is for medium traffic and red is for heavy traffic.
To see how busy a business or public space is on your phone:
- Tap a location.
- Tap Live information below the location name.
Some locations show live crowd data, while others show typical crowd information.
How to filter restaurant results based on dietary restrictions?
What’s the use of taking the time to find a restaurant that appeals to you and doesn’t have all-you-can-eat food? With a few taps on your smartphone, you can fix this problem from the bud.
- in the upper right corner to your profile icon tap.
- Settings choose
- Manage your preferencesTap (you need to scroll down a bit).
- Diet Tap .
- Diet choose your restrictions.
Now, when you search for restaurants, Google doesn’t show restaurants that don’t fit your diet.
Let Pegman show you the street view on Google Maps
Sometimes a bird’s eye view isn’t enough to get you where you need to go. You may need to be on the ground to find your destination or make sense of this tricky intersection. Use Street View to explore the area in advance, rather than circling until you figure it out.
In your browser
- in the lower left corner of the window. pegmanfind .
- Click and drag from street level to the location you want to view. You can only leave it on blue-coated roads.
- Maps to you view from the street shows.
On your Android phone or iPhone
No Pegman on mobile. However, Street View is still accessible.
- Google MapsOpen .
- in the upper right corner layers Tap the icon.
- street viewSelect .
- Close the layers menu.
- Tap the map for which you want to see a street-level view.
On mobile and desktop, click or tap and drag to change your view, or click or tap to change your location.
How to view old Street View photos
The Google Street View team has been recording roads for the past 15 years. For many locations, you will find multiple photos of a location. The owner’s process of seeing Street View data is similar in a browser and on mobile.
- street viewFind a location in .
- Click on the clock icon near the top left corner on the web.
- On mobile, tap See more dates at the bottom of the screen.
- Select the date you want to see the Street View.
Find gas stations on Google Maps
Google Maps is a great tool to improve your quality of life while driving. It’s also a good tool to help you keep driving by showing you where the nearest gas stations are. On the desktop, click the Gas button at the top of the window.
On Android and iPhone the button is there. Swipe left on the top menu bar to see it.
Depending on where you’re looking for gas, Google Maps can show you how much gas costs at different gas stations.
View your location history on Google Maps
Google Maps is great for finding where you want to go and planning how to get there. It also keeps track of where you are. While this one crosses the line between “hey, how cool” and “wow, this is spooky,” there is a nostalgic pleasure to look back on a year or more of travel.
On the table
- Click the three-bar menu in the search bar in the upper left corner.
- Choose your timeline.
From here, you can see an overview of every location you’ve been to.
If you want more detailed information, select a specific year or month. If you pick a day, Google will show you your best guess for your trips that day.
On your Android phone or iPhone
- Tap your profile icon in the upper right corner.
- Tap your Timeline.
There are a few more options you can play with in the Google Maps app. Drag the menu at the top of the screen to see them all.
Save your parking spot on Google Maps
Getting somewhere is the easy part of any trip. The challenge starts with remembering where you left your car. Whether you left it in a downtown parking lot or sunbathed in a remote corner of your local outlet mall, Google Maps remembers where you parked your car.
In the Google Maps app
- Tap the blue dot that shows your current location.
- In the drop-down menu Save parkingTap .
Google Maps places a yellow pin on the map to show you where you parked. You can note where you are and mark when you park. If you want someone else to know where you parked, there is an option to share your parking.
Bookmark your favorite places on Google Maps
If you go to enough places, you’ll find a few places you like more than others. These are the kinds of places you keep coming back to. Add them to your favorite places list to make it easy for Maps to take you back to those places. Dropping a pin is one of our favorite Google Maps features, and we have a more detailed guide to Google Map pins and My Google Maps.
To save a location on desktop or mobile:
- Select a location or set of coordinates.
- SaveClick .
- Choose or create a list to save your place.
In the mobile application, your favorite places are pinned to your map with an icon according to which list they are listed.
Accessing your favorites list consists of several steps. Still, it’s faster than typing, pinching, and zooming.
Follow these steps on your desktop:
- Click on the three-bar menu in the upper left corner.
- Choose your places.
- Select the list containing the saved place you are looking for.
- Select the saved location.
On mobile, the process is the same, except tapping the Saved button at the bottom of the screen to access your list of saved places.
Share your location on Google Maps
Using a map to reach your destination is all well and good, but what if you need to let someone else know where you are? Google Maps has a handy feature to share your live location with someone for a certain period of time. This only works if the person you’re sharing with has a Google account.
- Tap your profile picture in the upper right corner.
- Location sharingSelect .
- Tap the share location button.
- Choose how long you want to share your location.
- Select the person you want to share with (the Google Maps icon is above the picture of the links whose Gmail addresses are in your contact list).
- ShareTap .
If the Gmail address of the person you want to share with is not in your contact list, you can still share your location. Maps provides a link that you can copy and share however you want, rather than sharing it directly through your Google account.
Use Google Maps to find transit details
Driving is nice, but sometimes you can choose public transport. Instead of going to the public transport authority’s website and looking for bus and train times, use Google Maps. Maps has transit timetables and route options in most major cities.
The steps to exploit this are the same on desktop and mobile:
- Create a route in Google Maps.
- Select Public Transport as your preferred method of travel.
Maps show when the next train, bus or ferry will leave and all the connections you need to make.
Use Google Maps to plan your next trip
There is so much more you can do with Google Maps. For example, you can use various Google services to plan your next vacation. And when you want to save a memorable spot you encounter while traveling, drop a pin on your map to save that location or share it with your friends.