Google Maps has changed how we browse the world. Desktop and mobile applications have become more than just a means of getting from point A to point B by car, public transport, or on foot: Google’s popular service has also become a geographic search engine for the world around us.
1. We do it live
You can get an augmented reality view of the street you are on, whether that street is in Amsterdam, Dublin, Florence, London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo, or Venice. Open Maps, click on the camera icon at the top, and hold your phone to scan your location. You’ll get an overlay of all the places you will see on the map, making it easy to find restaurants, shops, and more.
2. Indoor navigation
Google Maps isn’t just for outdoor locations. You can navigate inside shopping malls, airports, and other large buildings by finding the location on the map, clicking on it, and then scrolling to the directory. You’ll never get lost looking for a Cinnabon store again. This feature is available in over 10,000 locations around the world.
3. Plotting multiple locations on Google Maps
Road trips rarely consist of just going from point A to point B; often, they involve traveling from point A to a café to a library to Joe’s house. Fortunately, Google makes it possible to predict real journeys. To add multiple destinations in the Google Maps app on mobile, enter the starting point and the final destination, then click on the three-dot menu in the upper right corner. A pop-up menu will appear with the option “Add stop.” Click that, and you can create a route with multiple stops. You can even drag and drop the stops within your trip itinerary. (Please note that this doesn’t work when using the public transport option.)
4. Customize your car icon
When you are driving, Google lets you select the type of car that appears in navigation on iOS and Android apps. In the app, enter your destination and start the driving directions. Click on the icon that shows your current location, and a pop-up menu will display several options for the car icon: Sedan, Pickup Truck, or SUV.
5. “Hey Google, where should I go?”
You may want to interact with Google Maps while driving but don’t want to take your eyes off the road. With the “Hey Google” voice commands in the Google Maps app on Android, you won’t need to. For example, if you notice you’re running low on fuel, say “Hey Google, find gas stations,” and it will show you gas stations on the map (you can look when you get to a red light or stop). You can also ask questions like “What’s the next turn?”, “What’s my estimated arrival time?”, and “How’s the traffic?” On Android, set up Google Assistant, and you’ll be all set. (You’ll need a phone running Android 9.0 or higher with 4GB of RAM or more.) On iOS (as described above), click on the microphone icon in the upper right corner and then ask your questions aloud.
6. Access Google Maps offline
Currently, Google Maps is most useful on mobile, which raises a problem: when you need maps, you might find yourself somewhere lacking coverage (or suddenly without coverage). To help with this, Google Maps supports offline access. Type in an address or area, swipe up on the menu at the bottom of the screen, click on the three-dot icon in the upper right corner, and select “Download offline map.” If you have enough storage on your device, the requested map will be saved. To access it later, click on your avatar > Offline maps, and then you can get information about businesses in the area and step-by-step directions within the downloaded section.
7.
Get Your Purchases
Google has integrated the grocery ordering and pickup function into its Maps for specific brands. It all began a few years ago with the rise of curbside grocery pickup during the pandemic. This option is still available; in early 2023, Google praised the improvements made to the ETA feature within Google Maps for Kroger pickups. However, grocery stores can also add a “Food Ordering” option to their business profiles in Maps. In addition to Kroger stores (which also include Fry’s, Ralphs, and Mariano’s), this is available for Albertsons and Fred Meyer locations as well.
8. Let Others Drive
Ridesharing services are a big part of the modern transportation mix, so Google has added ride options from companies like Lyft (sorry, no more Uber) to its mobile app. Once you enter your destination, tap on the little person trying to hail a taxi or public transport option. You’ll be shown ride options near you, along with the estimated arrival time and fare. Tap to open the app to book your ride.
9. Find Accessible Routes and Transport Locations
Those with mobility issues can search for wheelchair-accessible transport routes by clicking on options > wheelchair access when searching for train or bus directions. Upon arrival at your destination, the places settings provide information about wheelchair accessibility at that location.
10. Change Font Size
If the words on Google Maps are too small to read, zoom in. On iPhone, make sure you have iOS 15 or later by going to Settings > General > About. Then go to Settings > Control Center. Under “More Controls,” you’ll see Text Size. Tap the green plus icon on the left, which moves it to the top under “Included Controls.” Now, open Google Maps and swipe down from the top right where you see the battery icon. Tap the Text Size button (the small A icon next to the large A). At the bottom, select whether to increase the font size in Google Maps only or in all apps. You can then adjust the font size using the white sliders. Close the Control Center, and the font adjustments will automatically update.
11. Remember Where You Parked
Do you remember when the Seinfeld team spent half an hour wandering around a parking lot looking for their parked car? That episode (along with many others) won’t work in 2024, thanks to Google Maps. At your destination, tap on the blue dot that shows your location, and select Save Parking, which adds a label to the map app that marks where you parked your car. On Android, tap it to add details like parking level or the time remaining before the meter expires. You can also set meter reminders, add a picture of your parking spot, and send your parking location to friends.
12. What is the Parking Difficulty Status?
Google Maps can provide detailed directions based on live traffic data, but it can also provide insights into parking availability. When searching for driving directions to a location on iOS or Android, you may see a P logo at the bottom of the screen with one of three ratings: Limited, Moderate, and Easy (plus “On Site” for vendors with large parking lots). This can help you gauge how much time you’ll need to park or whether another mode of transport would be a better option.
13. Share Your Location
Google Maps allows you to share your current location with people for specific periods. When sharing your location with a particular contact, you’ll see your icon moving in real-time on their map. On mobile, tap your profile icon in the top right corner, select Share Location. Then choose who you want to share with and for how long. (You may need to allow notifications from Google Maps in your phone’s settings list first.)
14.
Viewing (and Deleting) Your Google Maps History
Google keeps a very detailed record of your digital activities. If you prefer to lose your Maps data, you can delete it on both desktop or mobile. On desktop, go to maps.google.com. Click on the hamburger menu, and select Your data in Maps. You will be directed to a page titled “Google Activity Controls,” where you can navigate to Location History > View and delete activity. You will see a map with a timeline of your activity. In the bottom right corner of the map, click the trash can icon to permanently delete all your location history.
Starting December 2023, Google will set automatic deletion of location history every three months when you first turn on Location History. To adjust this, go to myactivity.google.com. Click on Location History > Choose the automatic deletion option, and select how you want Google to delete your data (every 3 months, 18 months, or 36 months) or stop automatic deletion altogether.
On mobile, go to Settings > Maps history, which will direct you to the Maps activity page. Look for the delete list where you can choose to delete your history from today, all time, or a custom range. Click on automatic deletion to specify when Google will automatically delete your Maps data.
15. Browsing in Incognito Mode
To navigate Google Maps quickly without leaving any clear trace, switch to Incognito Mode. Google Maps will not save your browsing history or search history in your account nor send notifications. Your searches and movements won’t be added to location history or shared. Google will not use your activity while in Incognito Mode to customize Google Maps. This mode has its advantages when you want to read about a location without it entangling with your search history, but just like in web browsers, it doesn’t make you invisible. To turn on the mode, click on your avatar and select Turn on Incognito mode; the incognito icon will appear in the search bar. Click it and select Turn off Incognito mode to stop it.
16. Traveling Through Time with Google Maps
The Street View service has collected a massive number of street images over the years. In 2014, Google introduced time travel, a way for users to see how the street view has changed over time. In 2022, it expanded from desktop to mobile. To return to a specific address, enter Street View and click anywhere on the screen. At the bottom, click on “See more dates.” Where available, a series of images should appear. Browse through them and select the date you want to view.
17. Adding Some Music
If you always use the navigation app in Google Maps while driving (or walking), you can add music to your trip without leaving the app. Sync music apps like Spotify or Apple Music by opening the menu and going to Settings. On iOS, click on Navigation > Music playback controls to connect to Apple Music or Spotify. On Android, click on Navigation settings > Default media provider for the assistant, where you can link a number of music streaming services, including YouTube Music, Spotify, Apple Music, iHeartRadio, Pandora, and Deezer. Once you do that, a pop-up for your preferred app should appear while driving for you to quickly click and start your music. Make sure to create your playlists in advance so you can keep your eyes on the road!
18. Finding Electric Car Charging Stations
Increasingly
The number of electric vehicles on the roads is increasing, and Google Maps is adapting to this. You can search for “electric car charging” in Google Maps, which will suggest the best station based on traffic conditions, charge level, and expected energy consumption. You can filter by types of plugs, and if you’re in a hurry, you can select fast charging to find charging stations with higher voltage. If you’re using Android Auto in an electric vehicle, gas stations will no longer be displayed.
19. Request Fuel-Efficient Routes
Do you want to ensure that your next road trip is fuel-efficient? Turn on this setting in Google Maps, and the app will prioritize the most fuel-efficient route over other factors like real-time traffic and road conditions. “So, in addition to showing you the fastest route, it will also show you the most efficient one, even if they’re not the same,” says Google. Go to settings > Navigation / Navigation settings and turn on the preference for fuel-efficient routes. Here, you can also inform Google Maps about your engine type: gas, diesel, electric, or hybrid. Google will then provide routes based on your engine type to help you save fuel.
20. Find Safe Medication Disposal Locations
Google Maps is doing its part to combat the drug crisis with a search tool to help users find safe medication disposal locations. Type “medication disposal” in the search bar to call up pharmacies, medical centers, and local authority locations where you can safely dispose of excess pills.
21. Share Your Favorite Places
Google Maps allows you to share some of your favorite places with a friend. Just click on the share icon on the Google Maps card for the location to send it to them via text, email, or your preferred app. Save your favorite places by clicking the save icon; they will then appear in the saved option in the menu bar.
If you want to share more than one favorite location, you can create a list like a Pinterest board within Google Maps. When saving a favorite location, click on “New List” to create a group (like “Thai Restaurants in Brooklyn”) or add it to an existing group. You’ll find it in the saved tab under “Your Lists”; click on the three-dot list and then share the list to send a link to your friends.
22. Be (or Consult) a Local Guide
Do you think you know your neighborhood better than Google’s algorithm? Discover local spots and share your experiences by becoming a Local Guide. Although anyone can leave reviews and tips in Google Maps, being a Local Guide allows you to earn points by leaving more insights and data, which – as you move up the ladder – can lead to “rewards and early access to new features,” says Google.
Source: https://me.pcmag.com/en/gps-navigation/15026/25-google-maps-tricks-you-need-to-try
Leave a Reply