I'm a Google Maps power user here are 10 tips and features I can't live without

Date:
Mon, 04 May 2026 14:00:00 +0000

Description:
After using Google's popular mapping app for the best part of two decades, I've learned a thing or two here are my top tips and features.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Theres a strong case to be made for Google Maps being the single best smartphone app around. Yes, even on iPhone . Since it launched on mobile in 2008, Google has spent the past two decades improving its mapping service, with new features, visual overhauls, and, of course, the introduction of AI.

Ive been using Google Maps on smartphones since the app first launched, and over those 18 years, Ive witnessed these changes first-hand. Its been an invaluable travel companion as Ive ventured around the world, but in 2026, Google Maps is so much more than a simple mapping app. Maps can remember
where you parked, show you the weather pretty much anywhere, double as a travel guide, and even take you back in time. Satellite view, navigation, and transit information are well known by now; I don't need to go over the
basics. But here's a list of ways I use Google Maps to enhance my life. Article continues below You may like How Gemini in Google Maps makes travel more flexible Google Maps just got its 'biggest navigation upgrade in over a decade' I tried Googles new live AI search and it barely feels like search anymore Do your pre-trip research in Maps (Image credit: Future / John
McCann) Google Maps is my first port of call when it comes to planning a work trip or vacation. Rather than head to a search engine or the likes of Gemini or ChatGPT , I find the mapping service a wholly encompassing experience.

Zooming in on the area where I want to stay or explore, I use the handy shortcut buttons just below the search bar to display hotels or restaurants nearby.

Googles comprehensive business listings, complete with user reviews, provide
a detailed breakdown of whats available, and filter settings allow me to narrow down the options to those that interest me all while seeing where
they are on the map. (Image credit: Future / John McCann) You can even view hotel prices and availability, and book table reservations at restaurants
from Google Maps. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

During a recent visit to Miami, for instance, Maps helped me plan a four-stop burger tour around Wynwood, with all the joints within a five-minute walk of our hotel. Seeing them all on the map in relation to our hotel, and with easy access to reviews, made the planning process easy. Dont forget where you want to go (or where youve been) (Image credit: Future / John McCann) To make sure your pre-trip research isnt forgotten, use the Lists feature to flag the places youve found. Tap a location of interest, and in the card that pops up, youll see a little bookmark icon. Tap that, and youll be able to add the location to one or more Lists.

Google offers some pre-made lists, including 'Want to go' and 'Starred places', but you can also create your own. Want to go is self-explanatory,
and is what I use when planning a trip. It pops a green flag marker on all
the locations you add to the list, making them easily viewable when you zoom in on the area in Maps. What to read next I turned on Location in ChatGPT
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- here are 5 new features in macOS Tahoe that I cant live without

And once Ive visited places, I move the ones that really stood out to me to a List I created called Visited. This gives you a personal history of your travels plotted directly on the map, and allows me to return to the places I really enjoyed if I were to visit the area again in the future. (Image
credit: Future / John McCann) And these Lists can go further, too: you can
add a note to a location you add to a List.

While planning a trip to New York City in 2027, Ive added Rudys Bar & Grill
to my 'Want to go' list. However, I know once the trip rolls around next
year, I will have forgotten why I flagged this spot so by adding a note saying With every beer, you get a free hot dog, I know Ill be primed once I arrive in Manhattan. Download before you go (Image credit: Future / John McCann) The ability to download offline maps is no secret, but if youre not aware of this feature, its not overtly obvious when using Google Maps. It is, however, massively useful when traveling abroad and you dont fancy paying extortionate roaming charges.

I always download the map for the areas Ill be visiting, as I cant always guarantee mobile signal, or whether my mobile plan will cover roaming.

Ive been able to save whole cities (including New York, Bangkok, and London) for offline use, and even multiple Caribbean islands in a single cache. Not everywhere is available to download offline, though. South Korea isnt, for example.

While not all functionality is possible with offline maps, you can use
driving navigation and location search with the downloads without the need
for an internet connection.

To get to this feature, tap your profile picture in Google Maps, then tap Offline maps. Personalize your driving navigation (Image credit: Future /
John McCann) Speaking of Google Maps in-car navigation which has been a lifesaver on more than one occasion when Ive been driving at home and abroad you can further customize your experience.

Diving into the settings to set the fuel your vehicle uses (gas, diesel, hybrid, electric), will allow Google Maps to better plan driving routes for you based on fuel efficiency and in the case of EVs charging stops.

In the US, you can even tell Maps the exact make and model of your vehicle
for even more accurate trip calculations, such as estimated battery usage for EVs. (Image credit: Future / John McCann) You can take the vehicle customization a step further too, with the ability to change the blue navigation arrow to a car icon. Google Maps offers eight different car models (plus five bikes) and eight different colors for a fun, personalized experience. Let others know how youre getting on (Image credit: Future / John McCann) A feature we love in our family is trip sharing. If Im on the long drive home and using Google Maps for navigation, I can share my route with my partner, who can view my real-time progress, including my phones battery percentage, departure time, and estimated time of arrival.

Its easy to do just start navigation in Maps, swipe the navigation card up, tap 'Share trip progress', and then select the contact you want to share
with. Use less power (Image credit: Future / John McCann) I came across this feature accidentally during a recent long road trip, where I was slightly panicking that my phone battery was getting low and the USB port in my car
had decided to stop charging.

Navigation in Google Maps can be power hungry, and on long journeys, your phone will likely need a top-up. However, as I fumbled with my phone, I knocked the power key, which locked the handset. To my surprise, my Google Pixel 10 Pro continued to show navigation on the lock screen albeit in black and white and with limited details compared to the full-fat experience.

But it was a game-changer. Battery consumption was reduced, and I was able to make it home without my phone running flat. At the time of writing, lock screen navigation is only available on the Google Pixel 10 series of
handsets, but heres hoping Google rolls it out more widely in the future. Never lose your car again (Image credit: Google / Rio Akasaka) Vast parking lots can be challenging for the old memory. Great swathes of asphalt stretching far into the distance, each row of vehicles looking nearly identical to the last. I've found myself scratching my head at numerous locations when trying to remember where in a massive theme park or sports complex lot I left my car.

Thankfully, Google Maps has come to my rescue on more than one occasion, with the ability to automatically drop a pin when it detects youve reached your destination and parked up.

The small, circular P icon it leaves on the map might look unassuming, but it can save you a lot of time and stress when returning to your vehicle.

Look out for a prompt at the end of your navigated journey asking if you want maps to remember where you parked, or go to Settings > Notifications >
Getting around > Parking Location. Is the sun shining? (Image credit: Future
/ John McCann) If youre thinking about heading to the beach for the day and are checking out possible shorelines in Maps, you can also view the weather and air quality for a location without leaving the app.

Zoom in on an area, and a weather icon will appear in the corner of the card at the bottom of the screen. Tap on this, and youll see the 24-hour forecast and air quality for that spot. Time travel is real (in Google Maps at least) (Image credit: Future / John McCann) Im a sucker for a nostalgia trip, and combine that with a geeky obsession for maps (I have a geography degree after all), and Google Maps can end up stealing hours of my day as I take a step back in time with two features I just love.

First up is Timeline, which has been around for a while. If you allow it, Google Maps can record your movements and save them in a calendar view. This is perfect if youre trying to remember that really cool bar you stumbled into on a whim six months ago while on vacation in Rome, Italy, but cant for the life of you remember what it was called or where in the city it was.

A quick hop into Timeline, find the date in the calendar view, and youll get an itinerary breakdown of your movements that day so you can retrace your steps.

As someone who enjoys digging into data and recounting previous excursions, I love this feature but this level of tracking wont be for everyone. You can turn Timeline tracking off by going to Settings > Location and Privacy > Timeline. (Image credit: Future / John McCann) The second time travel feature is a newer addition and is part of Street View. Enable this first-person view of a road, and youll see theres an option to 'See more dates'.

From here, youll be offered up the snapshots taken by Googles Street View vehicles over the years with some locations going back two decades. Its fascinating to look at how areas have changed over the years. What are your top Google Maps tips? How many of my tips and features did you already know about? I'd love to hear how you use Google Maps let me know your favorite tricks in the comments below. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

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