8 handy Google Maps tips you might not have known

Google Maps comes standard on Android phones and is one of the most popular navigation apps. Yet this app contains more possibilities than you might think. Time for a lesson tinkering with Google Maps!

1. Add an extra stop to a route

Are you going to a bungalow park for a weekend away soon? There is a good chance that you have already looked at the route in Maps. If you want to add some extra stops on the route to your destination, you can do this via the following steps in Maps.

1. Open the Google Maps app on your Android phone or tablet
2. Find your destination or tap it on the map
3. At the bottom left, tap Route
4. Tap the three dots in the top right and then Add extra stop.
5. Tap on Add
6. Tap on Finished

You can add up to 9 stops, and also change the order of all destinations on the route. To do this, tap the two lines next to a destination and drag the destination to the desired place in your route. You can delete a destination by clicking the cross.

2. Choose another car icon

Would you like to exchange the blue arrow that is shown during navigation for a nice 3D car? This can be done via these steps:

1. Open the Google Maps app on your Android phone or tablet
2. Start navigation to your destination
3. Tap the blue arrow, or the vehicle if you’ve already changed it
4. Tap the icon you want to use

3. Never search for your parking space again

You can save your parking space in Google Maps, so that you can remember where you parked your car.

1. Open the Google Maps app on your Android phone or tablet
2. Tap the blue dot that indicates your location.
3. Tap on Save your parking space

You can optionally add photos and comments, such as which floor your car is on or how much parking time is left.

4. Share your real-time location with others

You can share your location for various reasons, including to ensure security if you are on the road in the evenings, for example. Or to tell what time you’re with someone. You can share your location for a certain period of time, but you can also leave it on. The choice is yours.

1. Add his or her Gmail address to you Google Contacts, if you haven’t already done this
2. Open the Google Maps app on your Android phone or tablet
3. Tap your profile picture and then Share location > share with someone
4. Choose how long you want to share your location
5. Tap the profile of the person you want to share your location with
6. Tap on To share

Want to share your location with someone who doesn’t have a Google account? Then share your location with a link via WhatsApp, for example. People who have this link can view your real-time location for as long as you want, up to 72 hours. You can stop sharing by following steps 1 to 3 and click Fuses to tap.

5. Create shortcut of your favorite route

You can create a shortcut of directions in Google Maps on your Android phone so that you can easily start it from your home screen. That saves you searching again if you need to be somewhere quickly or just want to go well prepared.

1. Open the Google Maps app on your Android phone or tablet
2. Find your destination
3. Tap the three dots at the top right
4. Tap on Add route to home screen
5. In the pop-up screen, tap on add

6. Save your favorite places to Maps

Do you want to easily find your favorite pub or clothing store in Maps? Then you can save them in Google Maps. To save places and view them later in Google Maps, you must be signed in with the same Google Account on the devices where you want to view them.

1. Open the Google Maps app on your Android phone or tablet
2. Click or search for a company, a place or a set of coordinates
3. click on Save and then choose a list where you want to put the place in Maps

You can choose an existing list to add your favorite hotspot to or create a new one right away.

7. View your photos and the route you’ve taken

The timeline shows where you’ve been and how you traveled from place to place, for example on foot, by bike, in the car or by public transport. This data is only available for the periods when Location History was enabled.

1. Open the Google Maps app on your Android phone or tablet
2. Tap your profile picture and then Your timeline
3. To view another day or month, tap the date

You can also filter on the options ‘Travel’, ‘Insights’, ‘Places’, ‘Cities’ and ‘World’. These additional options provide an overview of all the locations you have visited in a country or city divided into categories of the places you have visited, such as restaurants, shops, theme parks, hotels and airports.

8. Avoid Toll Roads

Do you want to avoid certain roads on the way to your holiday destination? Then follow these steps:

1. Open the Google Maps app on your Android phone or tablet
2. Find your destination or tap it on the map
3. Tap at the bottom left Route
4. At the top, tap Car
5. Tap the three dots at the top right and then Route options
6. Tap on Avoid toll roads, Avoid highways or Avoid Ferry Services
7. Tap on Finished

Do you have any handy Google Maps tips? Share them with us and with others in the comments below this article!