Google Maps is a web mapping platform and app that lets you navigate and explore places around the world. Here’s what you can do with Google Maps:
- Get directions: Whether you’re driving, walking, biking, or using public transportation, Google Maps can give you turn-by-turn directions to your destination. It also provides real-time traffic conditions to help you avoid delays.
- Find places: Search for businesses, restaurants, attractions, and other points of interest. Google Maps will show you their location, hours of operation, contact information, and user reviews.
- Explore neighborhoods: Use Google Maps to virtually explore different neighborhoods before you visit them. You can see street views, satellite imagery, and photos of different locations.
- See real-time traffic conditions: Avoid traffic jams by checking live traffic conditions before you head out. Google Maps will show you how fast traffic is moving on different roads and highways.
- Use offline maps: Save maps for offline use so you can still navigate even if you don’t have an internet connection.
Before saving a location, make sure you are logged in to your Google account.
Save a Location on Google Maps:
Desktop:
- Find the location: Search for the place you want to save or navigate to it on the map.
- Click the “Save” button: Look for the “Save” button that appears near the location’s name or address on the bottom left side of the screen.
- Choose a list: A popup will appear where you can select an existing list to save the location to or create a new list.
Android and iOS:
- Open the Google Maps app.
- Find the location: Search for the place you want to save or tap and hold on a specific spot on the map to drop a pin.
- Tap “Save”: A menu will appear at the bottom of the screen. Tap the “Save” button.
- Choose a list: Similar to the desktop version, you can choose an existing list or create a new one to save the location.
![](https://jasswrites.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/google-map.jpg)
Access a Saved Location:
Desktop:
- Open Google Maps: Go to https://maps.google.com/ in your web browser.
- Click the menu button: This is the three horizontal lines in the top left corner of the screen.
- Select “Your places”: A submenu will appear. Click on “Your places” to view your saved locations.
- Find your saved location: You can browse through your saved locations by list or search for a specific place name using the search bar within “Your places”.
Mobile (Android & iOS):
- Open the Google Maps app: Tap on the Google Maps icon on your phone or tablet.
- Tap the “Saved” tab: This is located at the bottom of the screen on most Android devices and iPhones. On some Android devices, the “Saved” tab might be replaced by a bookmark icon.
- View your saved places: You’ll see two sections: “Recently saved” and potentially “Nearby saved” (depending on your settings). You can also access your lists by tapping “Lists” at the top of the screen.
Deleting a Saved Location:
Desktop:
- Access “Your places”: Follow steps 1-3 from the previous section on “how to access a saved location” to open “Your places”.
- Find the saved location: Locate the place you want to remove from your saved list. You can browse by category or search using the bar within “Your places”.
- Click on the location: This will zoom in on the map and display details about the place.
- Click the “Saved” icon: Look for a star or flag icon below the place name or address, usually on the left side. Clicking it will toggle between saved and un-saved.
![](https://jasswrites.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/maps-1024x603.png)
Mobile (Android & iOS):
- Open the “Saved” tab: Launch the Google Maps app and tap the “Saved” tab (or bookmark icon on some Android devices) at the bottom of the screen.
- Find the saved location: You can browse through “Recently saved” or your lists (tap “Lists” at the top).
- Tap the vertical ellipsis (…): Locate the three dots icon next to the place you want to delete.
- Select “Remove place”: A menu will appear. Tap on “Remove place” to confirm deletion.
Creating a New List to Save Locations:
Desktop:
- Open Google Maps: Head over to https://maps.google.com/ in your web browser.
- Click the menu button: This is the three horizontal lines in the top left corner of the screen.
- Select “Your places”: A submenu will appear. Click on “Your places” to manage your saved locations.
- Click “New list” In the top right corner, you’ll see a button labeled “New list”. Click on it.
- Create your list: A pop-up window will appear where you can name your list and add a description (optional) to better categorize your saved places.
- Save your new list: Once you’ve entered a name and description (if desired), click “Save” in the top right corner.
Mobile (Android & iOS):
- Open the Google Maps app: Launch the Google Maps app on your phone or tablet.
- Tap the “Saved” tab: This is typically located at the bottom of the screen on most Android devices and iPhones. On some Android devices, you might see a bookmark icon instead.
- Access the Lists section: Tap the “Lists” tab at the top of the screen (you might need to scroll up to see it).
- Create a new list: Tap the “+” button in the bottom right corner (or wherever the “New list” option is located on your device).
- Name your list: Enter a clear and descriptive name for your new list.
- Save your list: Once you’ve named your list, tap “Save” (usually located top right corner) to create it.
Adding a New Location to Google Maps:
If you want to add a new location to show on Google Maps, there’s a feature called “Suggest an edit” that allows users to contribute. Here’s how to do it:
- Open the Google Maps app on your phone or tablet.
- Tap the “Contribute” button on the menu.
- Select “Add place”.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to fill in details about the location. This will include:
- The name of the place
- The category (e.g. restaurant, park, landmark)
- The specific location (you can move the map pin to the exact spot)
- Once you’ve filled in everything, submit your suggestion for review by Google.
- This feature is best suited for adding new businesses, points of interest, or public locations.
- It won’t work for adding private residences or restricted areas.
- Google will review your suggestion before it goes live on the map.
Sharing Your Current Location with Google Maps:
Share with a person who has a Google Account
- You should have the Gmail address of the person you want to share your location with in your Contacts.
- On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Maps app and sign in.
- Tap your profile picture or initial
Location sharing
New share.
- Choose how long you want to share your location.
- Tap the profile of the person with whom you want to share your location. If asked about your contacts, give Google Maps access.
- Tap Share.
Share with a person who doesn’t have a Google Account
- On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Maps app and sign in.
- Tap your profile picture or initial
Location sharing
New share.
- To copy your Location sharing link, tap Copy to clipboard.
- To share the link with someone, paste the link into an email, text, or other messaging app.
People with this link can find your real-time location for as long as you choose, up to 24 hours.
Stop Sharing
- On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Maps app.
- Tap your profile picture or initial
Location sharing.
- Tap the profile of the person you don’t want to share your location with anymore.
- Tap Stop.
Deny or block a location request
If you don’t want to share your location with someone in Google Maps, you can:
- Deny the request: Tap No. Your location isn’t shared.
- Block the requester: Tap Block. Your location isn’t shared and the requester can’t ask for your location anymore. When you block someone, it affects how they can contact you in other Google products.