25 Google Maps Tricks You Need to Try

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Google Maps has changed the way we navigate the world. Its desktop and mobile apps have become not just a way to get from point A to B via car, public transportation, or on foot. The ubiquitous Google service is also a geospatial search engine for the world around us.

Google continues to revamp and improve its map product with features like augmented reality and commuter options, but there are a ton of customizable tools and hidden functions already baked into Google Maps that you may not know about, like Incognito Mode. Check out our tips for how to maximize your Google Maps power.

Plot Multiple Locations on Google Maps

Rarely do car trips consist of going from point A to B. More often, they are something like A-to-café-to-library-to-Joe's-house-to-B. It's a good thing Google makes it possible to anticipate real trips. To add multiple destinations in the Google Maps mobile app, enter your starting point and your ultimate destination and then click the three dots in the top-right corner. This will prompt a pop-over menu with the option to "Add stop." Click that and you can add a route with multiple stops. You will even have the option drag and drop stops within your itinerary. (Note that this doesn't work when you're using the mass transit option.)

Customize Your Vehicle Icon

If you're driving, Google lets you choose what car shows up on your navigation in the iOS and Android apps. In the app, plug in your destination and start up driving directions. Tap the icon that shows your current location and a pop-up menu will appear with several car icon options: a sedan, a pickup truck, or an SUV.

'Hey Google, Where Am I Going?'

If you want to interact with Maps while you're driving, you don't want to actually take your eyes off the road. With "OK Google" voice commands in the Google Maps Android app, you don't have to. For example, if you notice you're running low on gas, say "OK Google, find gas stations" and it will show gas stations on the map (which you can look at when you've come to a red light or have pulled over). You can also ask for things like "What's my next turn," "what's my ETA," or "How's traffic ahead?" On iOS (pictured above), you have to tap the microphone icon on the top right, at which point you can ask your questions via voice.

Access Google Maps Offline

Today, Maps is most useful on mobile, which brings up a problem: when you are most in need of Maps, you may find yourself somewhere with limited (or—gasp—non-existent) coverage. To help you out, Google Maps supports offline access. Navigate to the area you'd like to access while offline. Swipe left on the menu at the bottom of the screen and tap Download to download that map, assuming you have enough storage on your device. You can then get information about businesses in the region and turn-by-turn directions within the downloaded section.

Change Directions Around by Drag and Drop

When finding directions on the desktop version of Maps, you can maneuver your route to go through or away from specific locations via drag and drop. Just click and drag any part of your direction route to move around (this only works with directions for walking, driving, or biking—it won't work with any mass transit options).

Find Directions With a Single Click

To get to where you're going, you can type in your destination address. Or right-click where you're going on the map and it will prompt a pull-down list, which you can use to find directions to or from that location.

Measure Any Distance

Using the aforementioned right-click tool, you can also calculate the distance of any two points on Earth. Choose "Measure distance," which will drop a point (signified by a white dot with a bold black line), then click anywhere else on the map, and the distance between the points will be calculated. Keep clicking to add more points on the map. The total trip distance will be calculated in the main card.

That Little Person in the Corner Has a Purpose

See that little yellow person in the bottom right-hand corner? That's "Peg Man" (or alternatively "the pegman"). You can pick little peggy up and drop him anywhere on maps and be thrown into that location's Street View. Once in Street View mode, he will be oriented with the current view in the embedded map window in the bottom left-hand corner.

Augmented Reality Walking Directions

If you're walking around a city, and need a visual aid beyond Peg Man, Google Maps supports augmented reality walking directions in certain locales. This feature layers directional prompts atop Street View imagery to help you know which way to walk or turn. It initially rolled out in 2019 for Pixel phones, and later expanded to other Android phones with ARCore support and iPhones with ARKit support. The area itself needs to have robust Street View support; if it's available, you'll see a "Live View" option at the bottom of your screen when you search for walking directions.

If you don't have AR view yet, find the blue dot on Google Maps and tilt your phone in the direction you're about to walk. That blue location dot will cast what looks like a shadow in the direction you're facing to help you get oriented.

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