Who doesn’t love Google Maps? Maps Android helps people with oatmeal brains find their way around the world without needing to activate any synapses or fire any neurons. It also helps us locate places where we can get delicious food, such as oatmeal.
There’s more to Google Maps than meets the eye. And chances are you’re not taking advantage of some handy hidden features within the Maps Android application. I thought Android 12 was just around the corner, and there are more exciting Android goodies appearing every day, so I decided it was a good time to dig into this ever-evolving Android anchor.
These possibilities are waiting to be explored the next time Maps is open on your phone. You’ll love the new way you see the world.
1. Automated trip organization
Google released Trips in 2016 as an innovative app. Trips automatically tapped into all your information and created an impressively organized and easy-to-manage collection of plans from your confirmations and itineraries. It. Was. Spectacular.
Google was born. The company ended Trips after a few years and left all those who had come to depend on its smarts without any replacement.
It seemed so. Now, a lot of Trips’ planning information has quietly made it into the main Maps app. To find it, you only need a map.
2. Driving mode instant
Google Maps and Assistant are now integrated to provide a driving mode that places common mid-trip functions front and center and makes it as simple as possible to activate them while on the road.
This mode is automatically activated whenever you start a new Maps navigation. You can customize it to be more useful. For example, it will start up automatically whenever your vehicle connects to its Bluetooth system.
Tap your profile picture at the top-right corner of Maps Android, and then click “Settings”, followed by “Navigation settings” then “Google Assistant settings”. ).
3. Pin places
Are you bored of driving the same route or wandering to the same locations all the time? You can save time and effort by using Maps’ trip pinning feature. You can save your most common trips, and pull them up quickly whenever you need them.
Whatever your route, any pins you have will be displayed at the top of the app’s Go tab. From then on you can start new navigation to the destination by tapping one more time.
4. Savings on location
Do you remember back in the early days of Android, when Car Locator was the most popular app? No? Yes, I do. But then again, I have been writing about Android for 973 years. (Related to I may or not be a wise, but somewhat shriveled tortoise elder.
This app is no longer available. But, it’s a well-kept secret: Maps can save any location and allow you to return to it later.
5. Location sharing
Next, help someone locate you by tapping the blue dot in the main Maps screen. Then select “Share location” from that menu.
This will allow you to give anyone a link that allows them to track your location on a map in real-time for a certain amount of time, or until you disable the feature. To get the link to another app or service, you can also beam it directly to your phone.
6. Incognito mode
Are you on your way to a secret hideaway? Bruce Wayne, you are the best. This bit of information can be pinned to your amygdala. If you tap on your profile picture in Maps and select “Turn On Incognito mode”, Maps will temporarily stop saving and using your location for future purposes. No one, not even Google, will ever know where you are.
7. Collections about location
One of the most overlooked features of Android Maps is its ability to allow you to create collections of places, then revisit them or share them with other people. It’s a very specific kind of bookmarking service, all about location and linked directly to your favorite navigation software.
Tap the Saved tab at bottom of the Maps app and then search for the section titled “Your list”. You can tap the “New List” command in that area. Here you can give your new list a name, description, and choose whether it should be shared with only certain people or made public for everyone to see.