Grasp your navigation: 41 hidden Google Maps settings it is best to know

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Google Maps has dozens of settings that unlock hidden options.
• They enhance navigation, battery life, accessibility, privateness, and extra.
• Listed here are the highest suggestions and methods I consider make Maps much more helpful.

Google Maps is a superb choice for fast instructions, discovering a restaurant, or perusing Avenue View. You most likely do not give it a lot thought once you’re doing all these items, with a fast look on the information you are looking for and slipping your telephone into your pocket. However in the event you’re prepared to look, there’s a complete lot extra to it. 

After writing about Google Maps for practically 15 years, I’ve discovered firsthand that it is filled with hidden settings, menus, and toggles. Many enable you fine-tune the app to your liking, whereas others unlock new options you most likely did not know existed.

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Beneath is my grasp record of Google Maps settings, suggestions, and methods each energy person ought to know. I’ve centered on Google Maps for iOS and Android, particularly, however most of the recommendations do work on the net model as properly.

1. Maintain the map dealing with north

Let’s begin with a standard annoyance: the map not auto-rotating as you progress, making it onerous to orient your self. In case you desire to maintain the map dealing with north, go to Profile icon > Settings > Navigation and activate Maintain map north up.

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2. Keep away from tolls, highways, or ferries

In case you desire to avoid tolls, highways, or ferries, whether or not to save lots of money and time or take the scenic route, you’ll be able to inform Google Maps to keep away from them by default. Go to Profile icon > Settings > Navigation and toggle on Keep away from tolls, Keep away from highways, or Keep away from ferries.

3. Use fuel-efficient routes

Who does not need to save gasoline on a visit? If you wish to journey as effectively as potential, inform Google Maps to counsel fuel-efficient routes by default, particularly if arrival occasions are comparable. Go to Profile icon > Settings > Navigation and activate Desire fuel-efficient routes.

4. Inform Google Maps your automobile sort

Straight under the Desire fuel-efficient routes choice (Profile icon > Settings > Navigation), you will note a setting so as to add your automobile. Faucet it to set an engine sort (gasoline, diesel, hybrid, or electrical) for extra customized outcomes and route suggestions. For instance, in the event you drive an electrical automobile, Google Maps can consider your battery wants when suggesting routes and stops.

5. Specify your EV mannequin and charging plug

I am not completed with electrical automobile options simply but. As talked about earlier, Google Maps can prioritize EV charging stations, however it could actually additionally tailor outcomes to your actual automobile and charging setup. In Profile icon > Settings > Your autos, in case you have chosen Electrical as your engine sort, you’ll be able to enter your automobile’s make, mannequin, yr, trim, and plug or adapter particulars. Google Maps will then filter charging stations particularly in your automobile.

6. Add a number of stops to a route

I typically make stops or run errands throughout a visit, so I attempt to add them to my Maps route not just for navigation assist however to get a extra correct estimated time of arrival. When making a route, faucet the three-dot menu subsequent to your start line, choose Edit stops, and add as many stops as you want. Press and maintain the three-line deal with on stops to reorder, or faucet X to take away one.

7. Set a departure time

This one is essential if you would like an correct estimated time of arrival.

Site visitors varies by time of day, so checking a route throughout rush hour can skew your journey time in the event you plan to go away earlier or later. For instance, in the event you search for a drive to Montreal at 4 p.m. however plan to go away in the course of the night time, your estimate might be off. As a substitute, set a departure time. From the route display, faucet the three-dot menu subsequent to your start line and choose Set a departure time.

8. Set a reminder to go away

Must get someplace by a sure time? As a substitute of setting an alarm, you’ll be able to ask Maps to remind you. From the route display, faucet the three-dot menu subsequent to your start line and choose Set a reminder to go away. You possibly can select a leave-by and arrive-by time, and Google Maps will consider dwell visitors to inform you when it is time to go. No different alarm or app required.

9. Activate Glanceable Instructions

You possibly can hold turn-by-turn instructions seen in your lock display with out unlocking your telephone. Go to Profile icon > Settings > Navigation and allow Glanceable instructions whereas navigating. This characteristic is beneficial when your telephone occasions out throughout navigation to save lots of battery, or once you lock the display to forestall distractions or unintended faucets, however you continue to need to look at upcoming turns.

10. Use voice instructions

Typically it’s simpler to say the place it is advisable to go moderately than sort it out, comparable to when your fingers are full whereas strolling, or you might be driving in heavy visitors and may’t safely take a look at your display. In these circumstances, faucet the microphone icon within the Google Maps search bar and say your vacation spot. You possibly can ask to search out gasoline, reroute, or seek for locations, together with your own home, with out touching the keyboard.

Be aware: You possibly can change your language at any time by going to Profile icon > Settings > Apps and show > Voice search.

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In case you’re not in a position to faucet the microphone icon for no matter cause, you’ll be able to all the time say “OK Google” after which communicate your vacation spot. To make use of this utterly hands-free characteristic, first allow Entry your Assistant with OK Google in Profile icon > Settings > Navigation.

11. Allow power-saving mode

Google Maps could be a lifesaver, nevertheless it can be a battery vampire.

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In case you want the app to relax and depart you some juice to get by the remainder of your day, go to Profile icon > Settings > Navigation > Driving choices and activate Energy saving mode. That is solely out there when driving, nevertheless it provides you a easy, low-power map in your lock display with key info in-display, like subsequent turns. In response to Google, this variation can considerably lengthen your battery.

Sadly, Energy saving mode is presently restricted to Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Professional, Pixel 10 Professional XL, and Pixel 10 Professional Fold gadgets. Like many Pixel-exclusive options, it could ultimately roll out to different Android and iOS customers.

12. Present the speedometer and velocity limits

I actually love these two options. How typically are you driving someplace new and understand you haven’t seen a velocity restrict signal shortly? It occurs to me on a regular basis. Google Maps solves this by exhibiting the present velocity restrict and a built-in speedometer to assist keep away from unintended dashing. Simply go to Profile icon > Settings > Navigation, and allow Velocity restrict and Speedometer.

13. Flip off voice over Bluetooth

Hate when Google Maps interrupts the music taking part in by your automobile’s audio system? Go to Profile icon > Settings > Navigation, and switch off Play voice over Bluetooth. This step forces voice steerage by your telephone speaker as a substitute of your automobile’s audio system.

14. Make voice steerage louder

In case you turned off Bluetooth voice playback however now discover you are having hassle listening to instructions by your telephone’s speaker, you’ll be able to improve the quantity in Google Maps itself. Go to Profile icon > Settings > Navigation > Steerage quantity and choose Louder.

15. Get detailed audio cues whereas strolling

Google Maps can present extra frequent and detailed audio steerage whereas strolling, together with landmark-based cues that will help you keep oriented. Go to Profile icon > Settings > Navigation and allow Detailed voice steerage.

16. Use Dwell View for AR instructions

That is one other helpful strolling characteristic. Go to Profile icon > Settings > Navigation, and allow Dwell View.

Now, if you are on foot and following instructions in strolling mode, faucet the “Live View” button. It makes use of your telephone’s digicam and GPS to overlay arrows and instructions onto the actual world, which is particularly useful in cities when it’s onerous to inform which avenue or course to take. Dwell View even works indoors in some supported malls, airports, and transit hubs.

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Be aware: You can even tilt your telephone to enter Dwell View mechanically, if enabled below Profile icon > Settings > Navigation.

17. Discover accessible locations

Want wheelchair-friendly entrances, restrooms, or parking? Maps can present accessible locations and options instantly on the map. Go to Profile icon > Settings > Apps and show and allow Emphasize accessibility information.

18. Use wheelchair accessible transit routes

Google Maps can prioritize elevators over stairs and keep away from inaccessible transfers when potential. When making a route, choose the strolling choice, faucet Choices (the filter icon), and select Wheelchair accessible routes. You can even allow this out of your beginning location by tapping the three-dot menu, choosing Choices, and selecting Wheelchair accessible routes.

19. Select a most well-liked public transit mode

When making a route with public transit, you might have a number of journey modes out there, relying in your location. Use the Modes dropdown or faucet Choices (the filter icon) to select from Subway, Practice, Tram, or Bus. Maps will then prioritize your chosen modes when calculating the route.

20. Change your automobile avatar

Do you know you’ll be able to change the blue arrow that represents you whereas navigating? Simply change it to a distinct icon or shade. For instance, I drive a black Mini and was in a position to choose a automobile avatar that appears very shut to at least one.

Go to Profile icon > Settings > Your autos > Driving avatar. From there, you’ll be able to decide one in all a number of automobile choices, every with a number of colours, or change the arrow shade to make your place simpler to identify at a look.

21. Change to darkish mode (night time mode)

Google Maps allows you to select a Day or Evening shade scheme, or change mechanically primarily based on the time of day. You will discover this setting below Profile icon > Settings > Navigation. Faucet Colour scheme and choose your choice. This controls whether or not Maps makes use of a darker view throughout navigation, which could be simpler on the eyes in case you are delicate to a shiny display at night time.

22. Verify visitors

Regardless of the place you might be, you’ll be able to test visitors in your route or present space. On the map, faucet the Layers icon (the stacked squares) within the prime proper and choose Site visitors. Roads are color-coded: inexperienced for fast-moving visitors, orange for reasonable visitors, and crimson or darkish crimson for heavy congestion. You can even view typical future visitors through the use of Instructions and setting a future departure time.

23. Verify parking

One of many issues that stresses me out about touring or going to an occasion is parking. The place do I park? Is there parking close by? How a lot will it price? It’s so anxiety-inducing. However Google Maps may also help. To make use of it to search out parking, seek for your vacation spot. As soon as the map facilities on it, choose the Parking choice, often proven within the recommendations or below the Extra filter. 

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In case you see the “Ask” button seem, you too can ask Gemini about parking. Both approach, the characteristic will present close by garages and plenty, together with their web sites, telephone numbers, and fundamental itemizing info, which could be helpful for worrywarts like myself.

24. Save your parking location manually

The subsequent factor I hate about parking is remembering the place I parked my automobile.

I attempt to have a look at indicators and poles and make a psychological observe of the extent and quantity, however in the event you rush right into a venue to get to your seat, then navigate 20 flooring, 5 hallways, and a number of linked buildings, it’s simple to overlook. However once more, good outdated Google Maps may also help.

Faucet the blue dot on the map and choose Save parking. Google Maps will drop a pin so you’ll be able to navigate again to your automobile later. You can even faucet the Extra choice within the place card and choose Set as parking location.

25. Make collections or lists of locations

Discover the small You tab on the backside of your Google Maps display? That is the place you’ll be able to group locations into collections, comparable to your favourite eating places, by creating lists. Faucet New record, add a title and outline, then seek for locations and even routes to incorporate.

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You can even share whole lists with others. Faucet the three-dot menu subsequent to an inventory to search out sharing choices, together with the flexibility to ask collaborators. It is a nice characteristic for coordinating journeys or exchanging suggestions.

26. Save your journeys

The You tab can be the place your saved journeys dwell.

For instance, once I used to journey to Montreal typically for work, I saved journeys round that metropolis in order that they’d be simple to drag up later. To avoid wasting a visit if you are navigating, enter your vacation spot, begin the route, then faucet Save on the backside of the display.

27. Set house and work addresses

Talking of labor, it is best to set your own home and work addresses.

This provides you one-tap navigation and simpler commute planning with out repeatedly typing addresses. This step additionally unlocks extra customized visitors updates, group alerts, and search outcomes for close by locations, comparable to gasoline stations or eating places.

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You possibly can set these below Profile icon > Settings > Location and Privateness > Dwelling and work addresses.

28. Toggle 3D buildings

Exploring dense metropolis areas could be disorienting. For some individuals, having extra visible depth makes the map simpler to know. In these circumstances, turning on 3D buildings may also help. 

Go to Profile icon > Settings > Navigation settings and ensure Present raised buildings is turned on. After that, change it on from the map itself. Faucet the Layers icon (the stacked squares) within the top-right nook, then choose Raised buildings.

29. Know your layers, like air high quality and satellite tv for pc

The Layers icon (the stacked squares) on the map hides a number of map sorts and particulars. The default Google Maps view is okay and dandy, however I like switching to Satellite tv for pc on occasion. There’s additionally a Terrain choice for geography or topography nerds.

Additionally: How you should utilize Google Maps to trace wildfires and air high quality

Map particulars is the place issues get actually fascinating. I’ve already talked about Site visitors and Raised buildings, however you too can change on a Avenue View layer and see air high quality and wildfires in your space by toggling these layers.

30. Customise your items and map scale

Does it drive you bonkers that Google Maps reveals miles as a substitute of kilometers? You possibly can change it. Go to Profile icon > Settings > App and show > Distance items. You can even set this setting to Automated, which I’ve discovered helpful when crossing the Canadian border. In case you return to the App and show display, you will note choices to vary temperature items and toggle whether or not the map scale is seen.

31. Obtain maps for offline use

It is 2026, and my hometown nonetheless does not have a single bar of cell service.

It’s not simply my city both; a lot of upstate New York is a patchwork of useless zones. In different phrases, downloading maps is important for me. That approach, I can get the place I have to go with out worrying about instructions stalling.

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To obtain a map, enter your vacation spot, open the Extra choices within the place card that seems, and faucet Obtain offline map. Later, faucet your profile icon, go to Offline maps, and choose any map you want.

Simply keep in mind, offline maps usually expire after a yr.

32. Label locations for simple entry

Ever discover the little Label icon on the place card that seems after you seek for a vacation spot? I take advantage of it typically. One instance: most summers, I journey a few hours to my sister-in-law’s household camp. I by no means keep in mind the tackle or precisely the best way to get there, so I created a label for it known as ‘Kenzie camp.’ This label provides me an simply searchable identify, making it fast to search out.

Labels even work with voice instructions in Google Maps. To create a label, seek for a vacation spot, then within the place card, choose Add label and enter a reputation. Labels are personal and solely seen to you.

33. Go incognito

Chrome’s Incognito mode? Google Maps has one, too. This mode prevents exercise comparable to searches, navigation routes, and site historical past from being saved to your Google Account. To show it on, faucet your profile icon and choose Activate Incognito mode.

34. View, flip off, and delete your timeline

Google Maps has a Timeline characteristic that mechanically saves your location historical past, routes, and visited locations to your Google Account. Do not like that? You possibly can flip it off. Go to Profile icon > Settings > Location and Privateness, then flip off Timeline. Beneath that choice, you too can export your Timeline knowledge, delete all knowledge or a particular date vary, or set it to auto-delete on a rolling foundation in the event you select to maintain it on.

Inquisitive about what’s in your timeline? You possibly can entry it below Profile. It will present you journeys and locations from at the moment or the previous. You possibly can faucet the three-dot menu on the prime to entry your Location and Privateness settings for Timeline shortly or to delete a day.

35. Handle your historical past

There are a few different historical past toggles within the Location and Privateness display it is best to learn about.

The primary known as Your historical past. It saves your exercise throughout Google websites and apps to provide you a extra customized expertise in Maps. Just under it’s a Maps historical past choice, which saves your searches, instructions, and place views.

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If you choose Your historical past and faucet Flip off below Net and App Exercise, it disables the characteristic but additionally stops your Maps historical past from being saved. In case you open the Maps historical past choice instantly, you’ll be able to delete or auto-delete your previous exercise.

You possibly can delete particular person searches or clear all the pieces.

36. Delete latest searches

Don’t need your companion to see that you simply lately visited their favourite retailer to purchase them a gift? Regardless of the cause, it may be annoying once you faucet the search bar in Maps and your latest searches seem. In case you swipe from proper to left on any entry, nonetheless, you’ll be able to shortly delete it, clearing your latest record and preserving your journey exercise out of sight.

37. Contribute to Google Maps

Ever marvel how Google Maps will get its knowledge? A variety of it comes from individuals such as you and me who take the time to contribute. You possibly can be part of the Native Guides program to earn factors and perks, and get early entry to new Maps options by including opinions and photographs. When you enroll, open the Contribute tab subsequent to You in Google Maps so as to add photographs, replace locations, write opinions, and extra.

Earlier than you begin, there are a few switches value understanding.

Below Profile icon > Settings > Location and Privateness, you will see that a Restricted Mode toggle that protects your privateness by stopping strangers from following you or viewing your full historical past of opinions, photographs, and edits. There’s additionally a Seen to companies toggle. When turned off, it stops companies from seeing that you simply observe them, together with your identify, photograph, and public profile.

38. Scale back your notifications

Google Maps might be one of many greatest offenders in terms of notifications. You get alerts for nearly all the pieces.

The excellent news is you’ll be able to fine-tune precisely what Maps notifies you about, whether or not it’s suggestions, instructions, or one thing else. Go to Profile icon > Settings > Notifications and begin toggling choices off or on. I see greater than 20 switches on my display, a few of which seem as a result of I’m a Native Information. For instance, I can obtain contribution alerts. I believe I will flip that off.

39. Share your real-time location

Maps allows you to share your dwell location with mates or household in only a few faucets. Anybody you share with can see your real-time location on a map, alongside together with your motion and battery degree, till the sharing ends. Go to Profile icon > Location sharing, then select Share location or New share. Then, set how lengthy you need to share, comparable to one hour or till you flip it off.

Additionally: The way to share your location on Android shortly – by way of textual content or Google Maps

40. Use Avenue View to time journey

You possibly can view outdated Google Avenue View photographs of a spot instantly in Maps to see the way it has modified over time.

I’ve a separate information that walks by how, however the TL;DR is: open Google Maps, seek for an tackle, then faucet the Avenue View preview to enter street-level view. As soon as in Avenue View, search for the See extra dates choice on the backside of the display and faucet it to open a timeline of previous imagery. Choose a month and yr to see how the situation regarded when Google’s Avenue View vehicles captured it.

41. Attempt Lens with Gemini

Final however not least, Google Maps now integrates Gemini.

Additionally: You possibly can chat with Google Maps now, due to this massive AI improve – the way it works

Out there by the digicam icon within the search bar, also referred to as Lens with Gemini, this characteristic allows you to get details about your environment. Faucet the digicam icon, level your telephone at a constructing, landmark, or space, and ask a query about what you might be seeing. Gemini analyzes the dwell digicam view and returns AI-powered summaries concerning the scene in entrance of you.