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| 10 tricks for using the Google Maps app |
And in case you're wondering, all of these tips (except the last one) apply to both the iOS and Android versions of Google Maps, and several of them were shared in a blog post today from the Google Maps team:
1. Save addresses for faster directions
If you use Google Maps for directions, it makes sense to store your home and work addresses so you don't need to reenter them all the time. To do this, tap the person icon in the right hand corner of the Search bar. You can always edit your addresses later by pulling out the settings tab at the bottom left corner of the screen.
2. Drop a pin to see the street
Street view is more fun on a desktop, but it works surprisingly well on your phone. Just press and hold the area you want to see on the map to drop a pin. From there you'll be given the option to enter street view, get directions, or share the location.
3. Start GPS navigation in seconds
Select where you want to go, then hold your finger in that spot to drop a pin. When you do this, a transportation icon will appear in the bottom right corner of your screen. Tap and hold it to activate turn-by-turn GPS navigation.
4. More ways to zoom
You can still pinch to zoom. But now you can also double-tap the map, hold you finger down, then scroll or down. It sounds a little weird, but it actually feels pretty intuitive.
5. See a list instead of a map
Sometimes it's easier to see a list of nearby places rather than a mass of dots scattered across a map. To see a list of your search results, type a search, then tap on the list view icon on the right hand side of the bar.
6. Get more information about a business
Tap on a business, then swipe the info sheet at the bottom of the screen up or down to learn more about it. Swiping left or right will show you similar places nearby.
7. Save a place for later
Have you ever walked by a place and made a mental note to check it out later? Now you can Google Maps do that for you. Just pull up the info sheet for the location you're at and tap save. To find the location later, tap on the person icon in the upper right hand corner and scroll down to your saved places.
8. Let Google figure out what you should do
Not sure what to do with your day? Tap on the search bar, then hit Explore, and Google will come up with recommendations for nearby hotels, shops, restauarants, and things to do.
9. Rate your favorite spots
Are you the Yelping type? Well, as long as you have a Google+ account you can start rating your favorite (and least favorite) places on Google as well. When you pull up the info sheet for a location, just scroll down to "Rate and Review," where you can assign a star rating and write a review.
10. Go offline
(This tip is limited to Android right now, but Google claims it's coming soon to iOS. You can use this tip in the meantime as a workaround.) If you want to make sure you can access a map no matter what, open the map you plan to use while you're still somewhere with a good connection. Then tap the search box, scroll all the way up past the suggestions, and select "Make this map area available offline."
