3 days ago
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Google Maps is simply a veritable font of easy, utile tricks.
Follow ZDNET: Add america arsenic a preferred source connected Google.
ZDNET's cardinal takeaways
- Google Maps has dozens of settings that unlock hidden features.
- They amended navigation, artillery life, accessibility, privacy, and more.
- Here are the apical tips and tricks I judge marque Maps acold much useful.
Google Maps is simply a large enactment for speedy directions, uncovering a restaurant, oregon perusing Street View. You astir apt don't springiness it overmuch thought erstwhile you're doing each these things, with a speedy glimpse astatine the info you're seeking and slipping your telephone into your pocket. But if you're consenting to look, there's a full batch much to it.
After penning astir Google Maps for astir 15 years, I've learned firsthand that it's packed with hidden settings, menus, and toggles. Many assistance you fine-tune the app to your liking, portion others unlock caller features you astir apt didn't cognize existed.
Also: How to blur your location connected Google Street View - and wherefore you should bash it ASAP
Below is my maestro database of Google Maps settings, tips, and tricks each powerfulness idiosyncratic should know. I've focused connected Google Maps for iOS and Android, specifically, but galore of the suggestions bash enactment connected the web mentation arsenic well.
1. Keep the representation facing northbound
Let's commencement with a communal annoyance: the representation not auto-rotating arsenic you move, making it hard to orient yourself. If you similar to support the representation facing north, spell to Profile icon > Settings > Navigation and crook connected Keep representation northbound up.
2. Avoid tolls, highways, oregon ferries
If you similar to steer wide of tolls, highways, oregon ferries, whether to prevention clip and wealth oregon instrumentality the scenic route, you tin archer Google Maps to debar them by default. Go to Profile icon > Settings > Navigation and toggle connected Avoid tolls, Avoid highways, oregon Avoid ferries.
3. Use fuel-efficient routes
Who doesn't privation to prevention state connected a trip? If you privation to question arsenic efficiently arsenic possible, archer Google Maps to suggest fuel-efficient routes by default, particularly if accomplishment times are similar. Go to Profile icon > Settings > Navigation and crook connected Prefer fuel-efficient routes.
4. Tell Google Maps your conveyance benignant
Directly beneath the Prefer fuel-efficient routes enactment (Profile icon > Settings > Navigation), you volition spot a mounting to adhd your vehicle. Tap it to acceptable an motor benignant (gas, diesel, hybrid, oregon electric) for much personalized results and way recommendations. For example, if you thrust an electrical vehicle, Google Maps tin origin successful your artillery needs erstwhile suggesting routes and stops.
5. Specify your EV exemplary and charging plug
I'm not done with electrical conveyance features conscionable yet. As mentioned earlier, Google Maps tin prioritize EV charging stations, but it tin besides tailor results to your nonstop car and charging setup. In Profile icon > Settings > Your vehicles, if you person selected Electric arsenic your motor type, you tin participate your vehicle's make, model, year, trim, and plug oregon adapter details. Google Maps volition past filter charging stations specifically for your vehicle.
6. Add aggregate stops to a way
I often marque stops oregon tally errands during a trip, truthful I effort to adhd them to my Maps way not lone for navigation assistance but to get a much close estimated clip of arrival. When creating a route, pat the three-dot paper adjacent to your starting point, prime Edit stops, and adhd arsenic galore stops arsenic you need. Press and clasp the three-line grip connected stops to reorder, oregon pat X to region one.
7. Set a departure clip
This 1 is important if you privation an close estimated clip of arrival.
Traffic varies by clip of day, truthful checking a way during unreserved hr tin skew your question clip if you program to permission earlier oregon later. For example, if you look up a thrust to Montreal astatine 4 p.m. but program to permission successful the mediate of the night, your estimation volition beryllium off. Instead, acceptable a departure time. From the way screen, pat the three-dot paper adjacent to your starting constituent and prime Set a departure time.
8. Set a reminder to permission
Need to get determination by a definite time? Instead of mounting an alarm, you tin inquire Maps to punctual you. From the way screen, pat the three-dot paper adjacent to your starting constituent and prime Set a reminder to leave. You tin take a leave-by and arrive-by time, and Google Maps volition origin successful unrecorded postulation to notify you erstwhile it's clip to go. No different alarm oregon app required.
9. Turn connected Glanceable Directions
You tin support turn-by-turn directions disposable connected your fastener surface without unlocking your phone. Go to Profile icon > Settings > Navigation and alteration Glanceable directions portion navigating. This diagnostic is utile erstwhile your telephone times retired during navigation to prevention battery, oregon erstwhile you fastener the surface to forestall distractions oregon accidental taps, but you inactive privation to glimpse astatine upcoming turns.
10. Use dependable directions
Sometimes it is easier to accidental wherever you request to spell alternatively than benignant it out, specified arsenic erstwhile your hands are afloat portion walking, oregon you are driving successful dense postulation and can't safely look astatine your screen. In those cases, pat the microphone icon successful the Google Maps hunt barroom and accidental your destination. You tin inquire to find gas, reroute, oregon hunt for places, including your home, without touching the keyboard.
Note: You tin alteration your connection astatine immoderate clip by going to Profile icon > Settings > Apps and show > Voice search.
Also: 6 Google Maps tricks to effort for the navigation app's 20th birthday
If you're not capable to pat the microphone icon for immoderate reason, you tin ever accidental "OK Google" and past talk your destination. To usage this wholly hands-free feature, archetypal alteration Access your Assistant with OK Google successful Profile icon > Settings > Navigation.
11. Enable power-saving mode
Google Maps tin beryllium a lifesaver, but it tin besides beryllium a artillery vampire.
If you request the app to calm down and permission you immoderate foodstuff to get done the remainder of your day, spell to Profile icon > Settings > Navigation > Driving options and crook connected Power redeeming mode. This is lone disposable erstwhile driving, but it gives you a simple, low-power representation connected your fastener surface with cardinal accusation in-display, similar adjacent turns. According to Google, this alteration tin importantly widen your battery.
Unfortunately, Power redeeming mode is presently constricted to Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold devices. Like galore Pixel-exclusive features, it whitethorn yet rotation retired to different Android and iOS users.
12. Show the speedometer and velocity limits
I truly emotion these 2 features. How often are you driving determination caller and recognize you person not seen a velocity bounds motion successful a while? It happens to maine each the time. Google Maps solves this by showing the existent velocity bounds and a built-in speedometer to assistance debar accidental speeding. Just spell to Profile icon > Settings > Navigation, and alteration Speed bounds and Speedometer.
13. Turn disconnected dependable implicit Bluetooth
Hate erstwhile Google Maps interrupts the euphony playing done your car's audio system? Go to Profile icon > Settings > Navigation, and crook disconnected Play dependable implicit Bluetooth. This measurement forces dependable guidance done your telephone talker alternatively of your car's audio system.
14. Make dependable guidance louder
If you turned disconnected Bluetooth dependable playback but present find you're having occupation proceeding directions done your phone's speaker, you tin summation the measurement successful Google Maps itself. Go to Profile icon > Settings > Navigation > Guidance measurement and prime Louder.
15. Get elaborate audio cues portion walking
Google Maps tin supply much predominant and elaborate audio guidance portion walking, including landmark-based cues to assistance you enactment oriented. Go to Profile icon > Settings > Navigation and alteration Detailed dependable guidance.
16. Use Live View for AR directions
This is different utile walking feature. Go to Profile icon > Settings > Navigation, and alteration Live View.
Now, portion you are connected ft and pursuing directions successful walking mode, pat the "Live View" button. It uses your phone's camera and GPS to overlay arrows and directions onto the existent world, which is particularly adjuvant successful cities erstwhile it is hard to archer which thoroughfare oregon absorption to take. Live View adjacent works indoors successful immoderate supported malls, airports, and transit hubs.
Also: Google's Gemini 3.1 Pro is here, and it conscionable doubled its reasoning score
Note: You tin besides tilt your telephone to participate Live View automatically, if enabled nether Profile icon > Settings > Navigation.
17. Find accessible places
Need wheelchair-friendly entrances, restrooms, oregon parking? Maps tin amusement accessible places and features straight connected the map. Go to Profile icon > Settings > Apps and show and alteration Emphasize accessibility info.
18. Use wheelchair accessible transit routes
Google Maps tin prioritize elevators implicit stairs and debar inaccessible transfers erstwhile possible. When creating a route, prime the walking option, pat Options (the filter icon), and take Wheelchair accessible routes. You tin besides alteration this from your starting determination by tapping the three-dot menu, selecting Options, and choosing Wheelchair accessible routes.
19. Choose a preferred nationalist transit mode
When creating a way with nationalist transit, you whitethorn person respective question modes available, depending connected your location. Use the Modes dropdown oregon pat Options (the filter icon) to take from Subway, Train, Tram, oregon Bus. Maps volition past prioritize your selected modes erstwhile calculating the route.
20. Change your conveyance avatar
Did you cognize you tin alteration the bluish arrow that represents you portion navigating? Just power it to a antithetic icon oregon color. For example, I thrust a achromatic Mini and was capable to prime a conveyance avatar that looks precise adjacent to one.
Go to Profile icon > Settings > Your vehicles > Driving avatar. From there, you tin prime 1 of respective conveyance options, each with aggregate colors, oregon alteration the arrow colour to marque your presumption easier to spot astatine a glance.
21. Change to acheronian mode (night mode)
Google Maps lets you take a Day oregon Night colour scheme, oregon power automatically based connected the clip of day. You tin find this mounting nether Profile icon > Settings > Navigation. Tap Color strategy and prime your preference. This controls whether Maps uses a darker presumption during navigation, which tin beryllium easier connected the eyes if you are delicate to a agleam surface astatine night.
22. Check postulation
No substance wherever you are, you tin cheque postulation for your way oregon existent area. On the map, pat the Layers icon (the stacked squares) successful the apical close and prime Traffic. Roads are color-coded: greenish for fast-moving traffic, orangish for mean traffic, and reddish oregon acheronian reddish for dense congestion. You tin besides presumption emblematic aboriginal postulation by utilizing Directions and mounting a aboriginal departure time.
23. Check parking
One of the things that stresses maine retired astir traveling oregon going to an lawsuit is parking. Where bash I park? Is determination parking nearby? How overmuch volition it cost? It is truthful anxiety-inducing. But Google Maps tin help. To usage it to find parking, hunt for your destination. Once the representation centers connected it, prime the Parking option, usually shown successful the suggestions oregon nether the More filter.
Also: Gemini vs. Copilot: I compared the AI tools connected 7 mundane tasks, and there's a wide winner
If you spot the "Ask" fastener appear, you tin besides inquire Gemini astir parking. Either way, the diagnostic volition amusement adjacent garages and lots, on with their websites, telephone numbers, and basal listing information, which tin beryllium utile for worrywarts similar myself.
24. Save your parking determination manually
The adjacent happening I hatred astir parking is remembering wherever I parked my car.
I effort to look astatine signs and poles and marque a intelligence enactment of the level and number, but if you unreserved into a venue to get to your seat, past navigate 20 floors, 5 hallways, and aggregate connected buildings, it is casual to forget. But again, bully aged Google Maps tin help.
Tap the bluish dot connected the representation and prime Save parking. Google Maps volition driblet a pin truthful you tin navigate backmost to your car later. You tin besides pat the More enactment successful the spot paper and prime Set arsenic parking location.
25. Make collections oregon lists of places
Notice the tiny You tab astatine the bottommost of your Google Maps screen? This is wherever you tin radical places into collections, specified arsenic your favourite restaurants, by creating lists. Tap New list, adhd a rubric and description, past hunt for places oregon adjacent routes to include.
Also: Inside Google's AI program to extremity Android developer toil - and velocity up innovation
You tin besides stock full lists with others. Tap the three-dot paper adjacent to a database to find sharing options, including the quality to invitation collaborators. This is simply a large diagnostic for coordinating trips oregon exchanging recommendations.
26. Save your trips
The You tab is besides wherever your saved trips live.
For example, erstwhile I utilized to question to Montreal often for work, I saved trips astir that metropolis truthful they'd beryllium casual to propulsion up later. To prevention a travel portion you are navigating, participate your destination, commencement the route, past pat Save astatine the bottommost of the screen.
27. Set location and enactment addresses
Speaking of work, you should acceptable your location and enactment addresses.
This gives you one-tap navigation and easier commute readying without repeatedly typing addresses. This measurement besides unlocks much personalized postulation updates, assemblage alerts, and hunt results for adjacent places, specified arsenic state stations oregon restaurants.
Also: Sick of AI successful Search? These 7 Google alternatives inactive enactment links first
You tin acceptable these nether Profile icon > Settings > Location and Privacy > Home and enactment addresses.
28. Toggle 3D buildings
Exploring dense metropolis areas tin beryllium disorienting. For immoderate people, having much ocular extent makes the representation easier to understand. In those cases, turning connected 3D buildings tin help.
Go to Profile icon > Settings > Navigation settings and marque definite Show raised buildings is turned on. After that, power it connected from the representation itself. Tap the Layers icon (the stacked squares) successful the top-right corner, past prime Raised buildings.
29. Know your layers, similar aerial prime and outer
The Layers icon (the stacked squares) connected the representation hides respective representation types and details. The default Google Maps presumption is good and dandy, but I similar switching to Satellite from clip to time. There is besides a Terrain enactment for geography oregon topography nerds.
Also: How you tin usage Google Maps to way wildfires and aerial quality
Map details is wherever things get truly interesting. I person already mentioned Traffic and Raised buildings, but you tin besides power connected a Street View furniture and spot aerial prime and wildfires successful your country by toggling those layers.
30. Customize your units and representation standard
Does it thrust you bonkers that Google Maps shows miles alternatively of kilometers? You tin alteration it. Go to Profile icon > Settings > App and show > Distance units. You tin besides acceptable this mounting to Automatic, which I person recovered useful erstwhile crossing the Canadian border. If you instrumentality to the App and show screen, you volition spot options to alteration somesthesia units and toggle whether the representation standard is visible.
31. Download maps for offline usage
It's 2026, and my hometown inactive doesn't person a azygous barroom of compartment service.
It is not conscionable my municipality either; overmuch of upstate New York is simply a patchwork of dormant zones. In different words, downloading maps is indispensable for me. That way, I tin get wherever I request to spell without worrying astir directions stalling.
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To download a map, participate your destination, unfastened the More options successful the spot paper that appears, and pat Download offline map. Later, pat your illustration icon, spell to Offline maps, and prime immoderate representation you need.
Just remember, offline maps typically expire aft a year.
32. Label places for casual entree
Ever announcement the small Label icon connected the spot paper that appears aft you hunt for a destination? I usage it often. One example: astir summers, I question a mates of hours to my sister-in-law's household camp. I ne'er retrieve the code oregon precisely however to get there, truthful I created a statement for it called 'Kenzie camp.' This statement gives maine an easy searchable name, making it speedy to find.
Labels adjacent enactment with dependable commands successful Google Maps. To make a label, hunt for a destination, past successful the spot card, prime Add statement and participate a name. Labels are backstage and lone disposable to you.
33. Go incognito
You cognize Chrome's Incognito mode? Google Maps has one, too. This mode prevents enactment specified arsenic searches, navigation routes, and determination past from being saved to your Google Account. To crook it on, pat your illustration icon and prime Turn connected Incognito mode.
34. View, crook off, and delete your timeline
Google Maps has a Timeline diagnostic that automatically saves your determination history, routes, and visited places to your Google Account. Don't similar that? You tin crook it off. Go to Profile icon > Settings > Location and Privacy, past crook disconnected Timeline. Below that option, you tin besides export your Timeline data, delete each information oregon a circumstantial day range, oregon acceptable it to auto-delete connected a rolling ground if you take to support it on.
Curious astir what's successful your timeline? You tin entree it nether Profile. It'll amusement you trips and places from contiguous oregon the past. You tin pat the three-dot paper astatine the apical to entree your Location and Privacy settings for Timeline rapidly oregon to delete a day.
35. Manage your past
There are a mates of different past toggles successful the Location and Privacy surface you should cognize about.
The archetypal is called Your history. It saves your enactment crossed Google sites and apps to springiness you a much personalized acquisition successful Maps. Just beneath it is simply a Maps past option, which saves your searches, directions, and spot views.
Also: I fto Chrome's AI cause shop, research, and email for maine - here's however it went
If you prime Your past and pat Turn disconnected nether Web and App Activity, it disables the diagnostic but besides stops your Maps past from being saved. If you unfastened the Maps past enactment directly, you tin delete oregon auto-delete your past activity.
You tin delete idiosyncratic searches oregon wide everything.
36. Delete caller searches
Do not privation your spouse to spot that you precocious visited their favourite store to bargain them a present? Whatever the reason, it tin beryllium annoying erstwhile you pat the hunt barroom successful Maps and your caller searches appear. If you swipe from close to near connected immoderate entry, however, you tin rapidly delete it, clearing your caller database and keeping your question enactment retired of sight.
37. Contribute to Google Maps
Ever wonderment however Google Maps gets its data? A batch of it comes from radical similar you and maine who instrumentality the clip to contribute. You tin join the Local Guides program to gain points and perks, and get aboriginal entree to caller Maps features by adding reviews and photos. Once you motion up, unfastened the Contribute tab adjacent to You successful Google Maps to adhd photos, update places, constitute reviews, and more.
Before you start, determination are a mates of switches worthy knowing.
Under Profile icon > Settings > Location and Privacy, you volition find a Restricted Mode toggle that protects your privateness by preventing strangers from pursuing you oregon viewing your afloat past of reviews, photos, and edits. There is besides a Visible to businesses toggle. When turned off, it stops businesses from seeing that you travel them, including your name, photo, and nationalist profile.
38. Reduce your notifications
Google Maps is astir apt 1 of the biggest offenders erstwhile it comes to notifications. You get alerts for astir everything.
The bully quality is you tin fine-tune precisely what Maps notifies you about, whether it is recommendations, directions, oregon thing else. Go to Profile icon > Settings > Notifications and commencement toggling options disconnected oregon on. I spot much than 20 switches connected my screen, immoderate of which look due to the fact that I americium a Local Guide. For example, I tin person publication alerts. I deliberation I'll crook that off.
39. Share your real-time determination
Maps lets you stock your unrecorded determination with friends oregon household successful conscionable a fewer taps. Anyone you stock with tin spot your real-time determination connected a map, on with your question and artillery level, until the sharing ends. Go to Profile icon > Location sharing, past take Share determination oregon New share. Then, acceptable however agelong you privation to share, specified arsenic 1 hr oregon until you crook it off.
Also: How to stock your determination connected Android rapidly - via substance oregon Google Maps
40. Use Street View to clip question
You tin presumption aged Google Street View images of a spot straight successful Maps to spot however it has changed implicit time.
I person a abstracted usher that walks done how, but the TL;DR is: unfastened Google Maps, hunt for an address, past pat the Street View preview to participate street-level view. Once successful Street View, look for the See much dates enactment astatine the bottommost of the surface and pat it to unfastened a timeline of past imagery. Select a period and twelvemonth to spot however the determination looked erstwhile Google's Street View cars captured it.
41. Try Lens with Gemini
Last but not least, Google Maps present integrates Gemini.
Also: You tin chat with Google Maps now, acknowledgment to this large AI upgrade - however it works
Available done the camera icon successful the hunt bar, besides known arsenic Lens with Gemini, this diagnostic lets you get accusation astir your surroundings. Tap the camera icon, constituent your telephone astatine a building, landmark, oregon area, and inquire a question astir what you are seeing. Gemini analyzes the unrecorded camera presumption and returns AI-powered summaries astir the country successful beforehand of you.
Do these settings enactment connected some iPhone and Android?
Yes, astir of them do. Menu names and placement tin alteration somewhat betwixt iOS and Android, and astatine slightest 1 diagnostic mentioned successful this usher is Pixel-only. Google Maps connected the web besides includes galore of these features, often with akin entree points.
Check retired Google Maps support if you request assistance uncovering a circumstantial setting.
Can I usage Google Maps without a Google account?
Yes, but features are limited. Signing successful unlocks features similar reviews, photos, menus, saved places, and personalized recommendations, portion staying signed retired keeps Maps focused chiefly connected directions and prevents determination history, saved places, and personalized suggestions. To motion successful oregon out, pat your illustration icon successful the apical close and prime oregon region your Google account.
You tin besides power to different Google relationship from the Profile screen.
How bash I halt Google Maps from redeeming my location?
Turn connected Incognito mode for impermanent privacy, oregon spell to Profile icon > Settings > Location and Privacy to negociate your timeline and history.
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