Google Maps is so much more than an interactive map with points of interest. Do you make optimal use of all the functions that the navigation app offers? We have listed ten Google Maps tips in a row, including the privacy settings.
Before we get started, make sure you have the latest version of Google Maps. This way you can be sure that all discussed functions are available to you. If you are using the Google Maps app on your iPhone or Android device, for example, visit the app store to check for the latest version. If you use Maps on your computer or via the website, you will automatically use the latest version.
Everything ready? Time to get started.
1. Find previous locations
Maps keeps track of where you’ve been. You can turn this setting off, as you will read below. But for those who don’t mind, the feature is particularly useful for situations where you can’t remember the name of a specific location, such as a store or restaurant. Thanks to Maps’ memory, you can still find out the location.
In Maps, tap your profile picture. Choose now Your data in Maps and tap View and delete activity. You’ll find the option in the section Location History. The locations will appear, in which you can sort by date and view the different locations. The locations are arranged in different categories and can be reached via the tabs at the top of the window.
There are the categories Day, Places, Cities and World. At the top right of the window you will find a button with the icon of a calendar: this allows you to quickly jump to a specific date. You can add places to the existing timeline. To do this, tap Add a place.
By the way, if you want to be kept informed of the most beautiful moments via a summary, then choose the option Receive highlights from your timeline by email.
2. Share location
Just like with Whatsapp, Maps allows you to share your live location with others. Handy if, for example, you want extra security during a walk or if you want to let the home front enjoy your walking tours.
While walking (and therefore when Maps provides information about the route), slide the bottom screen up. Choose Share journey progress and select the people you want to share the status with. After this, Maps will share the current location until the destination is reached.
3. Call up live view
While you are exploring the city on foot, Maps can plot the route on the street. How it works? You hold the camera in front of you while you walk. The camera registers the images and Maps places arrows over the image that show you how the route runs. To use the function, first enter the desired location in the location bar. Then tap walk and tap Live View.
Then you point the camera of your smartphone at the street and you see the street with additional information and route instructions over it. If a striking building is recognized, its name is displayed. Street signs are also recognized. Once a point is reached, the phone will vibrate briefly.
The option only works if Street View has mapped the area. Sometimes the live view is not reliable. It then helps to calibrate the compass: instructions for this are automatically given.
4. Find parking space
Done with endless searching for a free parking space for the car? Maps lends a hand by indicating a place and providing insight into the crowds. Enter the location where you are looking for the parking space and tap Route. Maps now displays the estimated travel time and the estimated distance.
Next to this information you’ll find a blue icon with the letter P. Tap this and glance at the section Traffic. Here you will find an estimate of how busy the parking space is. In a graph you can also see at which times of the day the crowds increase or decrease, so that you can prepare for this. After that, tap the option Find parking space. Maps now shows an overview of all parking places in the area.
The route to it is also shown. Select the spot and it will be automatically added to the route. You can also include parking spaces yourself, if they are not yet known by Google Maps. Then choose the option Add missing place.
5. Measure distance
Maps can also lend a hand in determining the distance between two locations. It is not necessary to have a complete route calculated, if it only concerns a rough estimate of the distance. Tap the starting location to place a pin. Scroll up the bottom menu and choose the option Measure distance. Maps reopens the map and draws a blue dotted line.
Now move the map to the end point and place the end of the blue line at that point. Tap on Add point. You can find this option at the bottom right of the screen. The distance is shown on the left. After this you can add multiple points. You can remove the last added point via Undo. You can also delete all points at once. To do this, tap the button with the three dots (top right of the screen) and choose To clear.
6. View map
Do you still regularly check a map in a public location, such as in a department store or at an airport? Some of these locations have also shared their own map with Maps, so you have the same information within Maps.
Enter the name of the location and zoom in on the Maps map. Now the details of the location are also shown. Think of the layout, floors and different spaces. So you no longer have to search for the classic information kiosk.
7. Enable Incognito Mode
If you don’t mind Maps saving your locations, but still want to look up locations anonymously, you can use Incognito mode. Tap your profile picture (top right of the window) and choose Incognito Mode to turn on.
While this mode is active, Maps will not keep browsing and search history in your account. Also, no messages are shown. Furthermore, location history is not tracked and your personal activities are not used to show Maps personalized ads. The mode will remain on until you turn it off yourself.
8. Use Google Maps offline
In practice, Maps relies on the availability of internet access. Do you know in advance that you are temporarily not online, for example because you travel in an area without mobile data? Then make sure that Maps also works offline. You can already download the map and associated information earlier, so that you can also access it offline.
Enter the location in the box at the top and search for it. Then tap the button To download, at the bottom of the window. Indicate the frames on the map and thereby determine the area that should be made available offline. The larger the area, the more storage space is required for the data.
click on To download at the bottom right of the window to get the correct region. After this, the maps are available offline and you can go prepared. The cards obviously take up the necessary space. Therefore, remove the cards you no longer need.
Open the settings window and choose Offline maps. Tap the three dots next to the card you want to delete. Choose remove. You will find even more options in this menu, so be sure to look around.
9. Departure and arrival
When planning a trip in the future, it is wise to include the crowds. This way you know even better how long the journey will actually take, but also at what time it is best to leave. Maps uses historical data to determine which crowds are expected.
First enter the location to calculate the route. If the corresponding route is known, tap the three dots and choose Set departure or arrival time. Enter the day and time in the displayed calendar. The other way around is also possible: simply enter the desired arrival time. Maps calculates based on this at what time you have to leave. To take the current crowds and situation into account again, you choose Now.
10. Review privacy settings
In the field of privacy, Maps has quite a few settings, which we naturally want to use. We like to have complete control over what happens to our data and how we use Maps.
Tap your profile picture in the top right and choose Settings. Go to the section Manage your account for all privacy-related options. Tap the tab Data and personalization and choose Web and app activity. Here you determine whether the performed searches are saved and whether they are shared with Google and friends of Google. If you do not appreciate this, then you set the slider from.
For an overview of the data that Google stores about this, tap the option Manage activity. For a complete overview we choose View all activity optionsChoose whether or not to use location history. You can also adjust the privacy settings for other Google services, such as YouTube.
In the main privacy settings window, view the section Location settings. The options here determine the extent to which Maps continuously tracks your location. If you do not want locations to be tracked, then choose Location services. A new window will open, where you specify the general location settings for Maps.
This page depends on the device you use Maps on, for example an iPhone or Android phone. In this window, determine whether the device can send the location to Maps. Don’t want Maps to keep a list of previously visited locations? Indicate this via the option Location History.
You can also choose to use the feature, but delete a specific period from the history. Choose Delete time period from Location History. Then enter the start and end date and tap remove. To delete all visited locations at once, so that you start with a clean slate, choose Delete entire location history.
Do you want to periodically clean this data automatically? Then choose Automatically delete location history. Now specify how long the history should be kept. You can choose to delete the activities after 3 months, 18 months or 36 months.
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