Most likely, you use Google Maps. That’s great, but we bet you’re missing out on some secret tips! Here is our pick of the top hints for maximizing Google Maps’ functionality.
To get the most out of it, avoid getting lost again, and learn new things, simply follow the tutorial!
The ideal mapping tool is Google Maps.
It is pre-installed by default on Android smartphones and tablets, the web, and even through an app for the iPhone and iPad in the Apple App Store (with the introduction of Apple Maps).
But do you really understand all of its nuances? Here are some suggestions for better usage.
The premier cartographic tool is Google Maps. It can be found by default on Android smartphones and tablets, online, and even on the Apple App Store (after the release of Apple Maps) through an application for the iPhone and iPad.
But do you really understand all of its nuances? Here are some tips for better using it.
USE GOOGLE MAPS DARK MODE.
Google Maps finally offers a dark mode. This setting provides the eyes with a kind of softer skin and autonomy (at least on smartphones with an OLED screen). To enable it to work.
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- Open the Google Maps app
- Click on your Google profile icon (top right next to the search bar)
- Go to Settings
- Go to Theme
- Tap Always dark theme
VIEW THE NUMBER OF COVID-19 CASES / VACCINATION CENTERS’ LOCATIONS
Google is introducing features to combat COVID-19. This makes finding a vaccination center on Google Maps very simple. Simply conduct a search for “COVID vaccination” in the application to accomplish this.
Also take note of the fact that the location of COVID-19 cases may now be seen on a map. Simply touch the “COVID-19 info” option in the top right corner of your smartphone’s screen to turn on the feature.
Additionally, be aware that Google is actively experimenting the street-level display of population wealth. Only New York and Sydney currently have access to this service, but the American corporation has plans to roll it out shortly in other cities across the world, including Paris.
USE GAS STATIONS TO RESEARCH GASOLINE PRICES
Google Maps is progressively rolling out the ability to display fuel prices. To display a list of local stations with their gasoline prices, all you have to do is search for the word “service station.” useful for locating the most affordable gasoline!
FIND NEARBY RAPID CHARGING STATIONS FOR ELECTRICITY
Open Google Maps and look for a “charging station” if you have an electric vehicle and need to recharge it quickly. Select rapid recharge in the filters.
Only stations with 50 kW or more, or even 150 kW, will be displayed on Google Maps. Additionally, you can decide to just display stations with your plug type.
Owners of older electric cars will be glad to have this information available in Google Maps even though Type 2s are now widely used in Europe.
SEARCH ROUTE OPTIONS FOR WHEELCHAIR USERS
Finding wheelchair-accessible paths is simple with the help of Google Maps. If there is convenient access for those with limited mobility, such as metro stations with ramps, the program will indicate it on each route. This is how:
- Open the Google
- Click on your Google profile icon (top right next to the search bar)
- Go to Settings
- Go to Theme
- Tap Always dark theme
CLARIFY WHEN A STORE, BAR, OR RESTAURANT IS HEAVILY TRAFFIC
Do you frequently check to see if a bar, restaurant, or your preferred video game shop is busy before entering? This query can be answered using Google Maps!
Simply check the busiest periods within the application to avoid waiting in line to enter a hip brasserie or café. The average number of people present at a public location during the time of your choice will subsequently be shown to you on a map. We walk you through it.
- Type the name of your destination in the search bar
- Click on the place card
- Go to Busy times
- Choose a day of the week and a specific time
Also take note that Google will soon roll out additional restaurant rating choices. Users can comment on things like the cost of the menu, the speed of the service, and whether the place sells takeout or not.
These additional options, which are currently only available in the United States, should soon be available elsewhere in the world.
SPEEDOMETER AVAILABLE IN GOOGLE MAPS
You can use a speedometer in Google Maps to keep track of your driving speed. This meter is obviously only for automobile mode. We describe how to turn on the speedometer on Google Maps.
You can use a speedometer in Google Maps to keep track of your driving speed.
This meter is obviously only for automobile mode. We describe how to turn on the speedometer on Google Maps.
- Go to the menu ≡ at the top left
- Go to Settings > Navigation Settings
- Enable Speedometer in the Driving Route Options section
GOOGLE MAPS NOTIFIES YOU WHEN TO ARRIVE AT THE BUS OR TRAIN STOP
Depending on your location, Google Maps can alert you when you need to get off a bus or train. This feature is available directly from smartphone alerts and provides you with a few minutes’ notice.
You just need to do:
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- Just launch a transit route and tap
DIRECTLY LISTEN TO MUSIC IN GOOGLE MAPS
You can play music from Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music right inside the Google Maps app. You no longer need to move from one application to another, which is very useful when driving. We describe how to turn on the audio player.
- Launch a driving route by pressing Start
- Go to Settings (at the bottom of the interface)
- Go to Audio Playback Controls
- Choose your music streaming service
- An audio player now appears just below your route information
DISCOVER THE LOCATION OF THE SELF-SERVICE BIKE STATIONS
Self-service bike stations are displayed nearby on Google Maps in 24 cities, including Lyon and Brussels.
The program also displays the number of available bikes in each station in real time.
You simply need to be in a qualified city to view the bikes on the map.
TELL YOUR FRIENDS WHERE YOU ARE
Recognize that sharing your location is still highly useful if your friends need to join you.
They merely need to use Google Maps to determine the best path to travel to get to you after you send them the GPS data via messaging.
In the process, Google Maps also displays in real-time how much battery life your smartphone has left.
The way is here:
- Open the Google Maps app
- Go to the side menu
- Select Location Sharing
- Click on Start
- Select the duration for which you want to share your location
- Then choose the person with whom you want to share your location
- Click Share
- The battery indicator will be displayed in your contact at the same time as your position
DOWNLOAD MAPS FOR OFFLINE VIEWING
Because Google Maps includes offline navigation, users can download places and subsequently consult them. When the cell network is exhausted, very useful!
All you have to do to obtain this is:
- Open Google Maps side menu
- Tap the Offline Maps option
- Tap Select your own plan
- Drag the screen frame over the area you want to download
- Tap the Download button at the bottom right
ACCESS VOCALE NAVIGATION
Your Android smartphone becomes a functional automobile GPS thanks to Google Maps. Simply choose a route, and voice guidance with a map and a marker that follows your route will be provided.
It is quite useful for drivers. This is how.
- Click on the microphone at the top right then enter an address by voice
- Click on the button at the bottom right to select your route. Check that the car is selected as the mode of transport if it is a car trip.
- Click on the arrow at the bottom right to start navigation
- Let yourself be guided
- Note that if the car is already selected as the mode of transport, all you have to do is make a long press on the icon representing the mode of transport to directly access the navigation.
HANDS-FREE NAVIGATION
It will be interesting to be able to load Google Maps without touching your phone while driving and then use hands-free navigation. And it is certainly feasible if you can activate the voice command on all of your smartphone’s screens. No issues should arise if the smartphone is recent. This is how:
- Launch the Google app
- Click the More button at the bottom right
- Select the Settings option then Voice
- Check the boxes From any screen and Personal results
TO NAVIGATE IN GOOGLE MAPS, USE THE OK GOOGLE COMMAND
You can open Google Maps without touching your phone once the “OK Google” feature is enabled, even if it is locked. You only need to say the voice command below.
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- Type the name of your destination in the search bar
Your smartphone then begins the application. Unfortunately, the voice command feature of the service still has its limitations, therefore using Maps requires pressing the microphone icon in order to speak a location or an address.
Similarly, even if you ask OK Google to “transport me to this address,” you will still need to click the “Start” option in the search results to begin navigation.
EXPLORING A PLACE’S ENVIRONMENT
You may get a list of key locations nearby, including restaurants, stores, and even movie theaters, while you are on vacation or traveling in a city you are unfamiliar with. All you have to do to do this is:
- Click in the search bar to open the menu
- Select Explore Nearby option
- Below you will also find a list of strategic locations
The most modern cellphones’ augmented reality capabilities are being utilized in a fresh version to the app. You can look around your surroundings with the help of the Search with Live View feature on a smartphone.
Simply press the Camera button in the application if your smartphone is ARCore or ARKit supported.
KNOW WHICH AREA NEAR YOU IS THE MOST TOURISTIC
The application provides a brief explanation of the districts that surround you when you are in town, allowing you to go to the most popular neighborhood in your surrounds. All you have to do to get these few travel advices is;
- Go to the Discover menu
- Click on the small gray arrow to the right of the zone name option
BEING AWARE OF THE LOW CARBON EMISSION ZONES AND THEIR SPECIFICATIONS
Some French cities, such as Greater Paris, have been designated low carbon emission zones since 2020.
Paris, Lyon, and Grenoble were the first three to be established in 2020, and seven more—Aix-Marseille, Nice, Toulon, Toulouse, Montpellier, Strasbourg, and Rouen—should follow suit by the end of 2021.
This implies that specific cars cannot travel there on specific days or at specific times.
A Google Maps update released in July 2021 enables the calculation of a route to account for areas with low carbon emissions.
The route preview notifies the user and shows the area whenever a route passes through one of these areas. It provides contextual alerts.
They consider the area’s characteristics (approved Crit’Air sticker numbers, the day and time of any traffic restrictions, and the make and type of the driver’s car) (if the user has provided the information).
In the event of a limitation, the application may suggest an alternate route if the proposed route crosses the restricted area but does not continue there.
Google Maps can now suggest an alternative to the automobile if the route is wholly within the region or if the destination is there (public transport, VTC, urban mobility solution). Only the Paris region was supported in France as of July 2021. (and four others in Europe).
SAVE THE PLACES YOU LIKE
Consider the scenario when you are returning to a location, but you are unsure of how to locate the address. Simply save it within the application by doing the following steps to do so.
- Click on the address below
- Click on the “Save” star
- Once the location is saved, the blue star will turn yellow and the app tells you that the location has been saved to your addresses
GIVE YOUR FAVORITE PLACES CUSTOM NAMES
The two locations you should mention in the application are your home and your place of employment, but they are not the only ones.
Fortunately, you may entirely personalize the addresses of additional places you frequently visit, like your hairdresser or your pals. All you have to do to accomplish this is:
- Enter an address in the app’s search bar or pin a location using the blue dot
- Touch the address
- Click on the “Three dots” button at the top right to open the settings
- Select “Add a label” and enter the name of your choice
NEVER FORGET WHERE YOU PLUG YOUR VEHICLE IN.
Do you frequently forget where you parked your car, particularly while visiting a new city? The precise position where you parked your car can be saved in Google Maps. You only need to follow these steps.
- park your car somewhere
- Click on the blue dot that represents your location on the map
- Choose Set as parking location
- A message You are parked near here is then displayed at this location
- You can clear the location by simply clicking on it
GET ACCESS TO YOUR PLACE HISTORY
It is a reality that Google Maps remembers every location you visit and every route you take. Do you know how to retrieve location history? It’s useful for individuals with no memory. Just follow these simple instructions to complete it.
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- Open the right menu
- Click on “Your journeys”
- You have access to all your history, the places, the photos you have taken and even the mode of transport (on foot, by car, public transport)
USE A SMARTPHONE TO ACCESS STREET VIEW
With Google Street View, you can see locations as if you were actually there. This feature is accessible on mobile devices as well. It is not quite as easy to access it as it is on a PC, though. This is how:
- Enter an address in the search bar
- Place your finger on the address at the bottom of the screen and swipe up
- Click on Street View
MARK A SPOT ON THE MAP.
The method that enables you to add a marker will be very helpful to you if you visit a location that isn’t listed on the program because it will help you locate it later.
Simply give the place where you wish to add a marker a lengthy push to do this. After that, as described in the text, you can add a label.
ON GOOGLE MAPS, HOW TO ADD STEPS TO YOUR ROUTE
On Google Maps, you can add steps to your route, which is incredibly helpful when traveling. As a result, you can plan stops at locations you want to see, for instance, before you depart.
The benefit is Google Maps will instantly estimate the time it will take to arrive at the destination by counting the detours. Let’s now see how:
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- Press the 3 small dots at the top right and add a step
- Add your step, you can add as many as you want
The steps can be be changed whatever you like. Adding waypoints to your route is effective whether you’re walking, driving, biking, or taking public transportation, it should be noted. Then, just follow directions as you normally would when using the application.
AUGMENTED REALITY NAVIGATION USING GOOGLE MAPS
There is an augmented reality navigating function in Google Maps. The program now includes components meant to direct you on the view from the primary photo sensor as a result of artificial intelligence.
All you need to do this is have a smartphone that is ARCore and ARKit compatible. These technologies are supported by many devices running at least Android 7.0 Nougat, however some others demand Android 8.0 Oreo.
The mode is still in use, so pay attention. We describe how to activate the mode:
- Launch a route on Google Mapsp
- Select Show route
With all of these suggestions, you can be sure to get lost on Google Maps and, more importantly, be prepared for your upcoming weekends and holidays!
We would be happy to add any additional advice you may have if you share it with us in the comments section.
SAVE YOUR HOME AND WORKPLACE ON GOOGLE MAPS
Why register your house and place of business? Simply said, because it lays the groundwork for later being able to locate strategic locations close to your house or office, like restaurants or shops. Here is the manipulation to perform for this:
- Swipe from left to right to bring up the menu
- Select the Your addresses option
- Touch Home to enter your address then Work to enter your work address