Essential Tips for Using Google Maps

Apps have certainly emerged to make our lives easier and assist us in our daily routines. In this sense, without a doubt, Google Maps has become an indispensable tool for those who travel around the world.

Especially due to its offline mode among its main features, allowing users to continue navigating without an internet connection or even saving mobile data.

The best part is that Google Maps regularly receives new functionalities, making it a more complete and useful app over time. And so that you can make the most of all the app’s features, I’ve gathered some essential tips that will surely be very useful during your travels or even in urban areas. Come and check them out!

Setting Your Addresses

Google Maps allows you to find routes from home or work more quickly after setting your home and work addresses. Once you’ve saved the data, the app will suggest the fastest route to get home or to work, reducing your daily commuting time.

All this information will be shared with other Google services and products to personalize your experiences and enhance the relevance of ads. And you don’t need to worry about privacy, as only you can see these addresses. Moreover, you can change or delete the data whenever you want.

Viewing Information About a Place

The app can also be used to find specific places, such as restaurants, museums, hotels, bars, churches, etc. To do this, you just need to type the name of the place you want to search for in the search bar.

After finding the place on the map, you can click on the name and immediately access a range of information, such as opening hours, menus, reviews, updates, photos, and more. This feature is excellent for getting more information about hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions, etc.

Viewing Routes and Starting Navigation

Using Google Maps, you can access routes for driving, walking, public transport, biking, ride-sharing, flights, or motorcycles. If there are multiple routes available to the same destination, the best and most convenient one for you will be highlighted in blue, while the others will be in gray.

It’s important to mention that you should always be attentive when using routes on Google Maps. You need to pay close attention to ensure your safety and the safety of those around you.

Understanding the Features

The Google Maps app receives updates all the time to help users access features more quickly.

When you open the app, you can find five features at the bottom of the main screen:

• Explore: Choose where you want to go.
• Go: Here, you’ll see what to expect on your frequent trips.
• Saved: If needed, you can create lists to later check specific places.
• Contribute: Share your experiences with other users by adding information, comments, and fixing issues.
• Updates: Receive notifications of relevant information.

Bookmarking Favorite Places

To easily find your favorite places, you can add your own markers to places on your map. These marked places will be displayed on the map, in search suggestions, on the “Your Places” screen, and in Google Photos.

Exploring Locations in Street View Mode

Street View mode is one of the coolest features of Google Maps. It allows you to take a virtual tour of the chosen location. Besides being entertaining, it’s a way for you to familiarize yourself with the destination of your next trip. For example, you can explore streets, find the best restaurants, or even know the route from your hotel to the nearest metro station. This helps you navigate better wherever you go.

Moreover, many people use this Google Maps mode to “travel” without leaving the comfort of their home. It’s a way to get up close to amazing places.

Location Sharing

Among the many features of Google Maps is Google Location Sharing. With it, you can choose who can see your location and for how long.

This way, the people you want to share your location with can see the following:

• Your name and photo
• The device’s most recent location
• Your device’s battery level and whether it’s charging
• Your arrival and departure times if there’s a location sharing notification

Offline Mode

One of the great advantages of Google Maps is its offline mode. It’s quite common to lose internet connection during a trip or have a weak signal. But that’s no longer a problem.

Simply download the map you’ll use using a Wi-Fi network, and you’re ready to go! This allows you to navigate with ease without worrying about the internet, or even to save mobile data.

Plan Trips on Google Maps

Are you from the time of those huge maps? That’s definitely a thing of the past. Now, with just our smartphone in hand, we can access maps from anywhere in the world, all on our device’s screen. These maps are comprehensive and very easy to navigate.

With Google Maps, it’s much easier to plan a trip. You can check distances between different cities or even between tourist spots. Additionally, the app will help you choose the best mode of transportation or whether it’s worth walking from one point to another on the map.

Furthermore, you can mark your points of interest in a few clicks, optimizing your time and avoiding unnecessary travel.

Conclusion

In summary, Google Maps is an essential tool that simplifies our lives in various aspects. From providing directions to improving routes to exploring specific places with planned information. Whether it’s planning trips, bookmarking favorite places, or selectively sharing your location, the app offers a range of powerful features at your fingertips. With the app, exploring the world and navigating urban routines becomes simpler, safer, and more convenient. So, make use of these essential tips to efficiently use Google Maps and reap maximum benefits in your adventures and daily travels.