There are many small tips and tricks that can help you to get more out of Google Maps. Many of these tips are time savers, while some offer you better options for configuring or mapping.
Navigation
If you want to access navigation features, you will be offered options for the route that you want to take to get to your destination. However, if you are already aware of the best route or you really don’t care about the route and just want to get there, you can do so more efficiently. For this, you can quick launch to navigation by long pressing the navigation button, seen in blue, after selecting the location. Navigation can be viewed and you will be able to see the fastest route from your location to the destination. So, there is no need to enter the starting point or selecting a route. This feature works effectively for all types of transit, including biking and taking public transit options.
Selecting on the Map
Users usually try to find a place or search for directions to destinations on the map. However, you can actually navigate to any location of your choice, even if it is not mentioned as a place in the Google Maps. You have to long press on that particular place or point on the map, which could be just a street corner or even a house. Drop the pin on this location and then save it for using as your destination or your starting point.
Starring a Location
You can use the starring feature to mark a particular restaurant or a particular store or to remember where you have parked your car. It is easy to keep tabs on the place using the starring feature. You can do this by long pressing on your map in order to drop a pin on the place. Next, you have to tap on the bar at the bottom in order to get the information about the place and touch the save star. This location gets stored in ‘Your places’, which you can access in the app and in the website. The locations will show up, when you browse the area or when you search in maps.
Using Advanced Swipes
The usual way to view places is by panning and zooming. However, you can also get a flatter view by swiping up the screen using two fingers, in order to have a different perspective. By swiping down using two fingers, you will get back to the usual top down view. In addition, if you wish to rotate maps, you can use two fingers and make a circular motion when viewing a particular street and then tap on the compass for getting the default view again.
Zooming
You can normally zoom out or in by pinching outwards or inwards using two fingers, but if you don’t want to do this, Maps has you covered. You can double tap on the location and it zooms in. Moreover, after double tapping, you just slide the finger up and down for zooming in and for zooming out. You either double tap and hold or double tap and swipe, up or down. You might take some time to get used to these features, but it is finally easier to zoom, using just one finger.
Switching Between Views
Some users like to have the map always facing North, whereas, others like it pointed towards the direction in which they are looking. You can switch between these modes using the compass icon, seen in the bottom right. The phone might take some time to figure out where you are facing, but it is pretty quick and can save a lot of time.
- TFJ
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