Tips and tricks: like a pro using Google maps

Tips and tricks: like a pro using Google maps

Google maps is a navigation app that shows you not only the way. Shops and restaurants along with opening hours and let you navigate on the fastest way. Share your location with friends and utilizes offline maps: here get to know all the tips to the Google Maps service. The function to provide a route with stopovers is brand new. How it works, you can learn more in the section of stops Add.

Google maps offline: so you use the map service without Internet connection
The three best navigation apps for Android
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Plan routes with stopovers
Zoom with one hand
Send location
Reduce battery consumption
Call a taxi with Google maps
Immediately shut off
Come silently to the destination
Use Google maps offline
Plan routes on the PC and send to your phone
Google now brings you home
Measure distances
Google maps: Plan routes with stopovers
With a new update, there is the possibility to provide routes with stopovers on Google maps now. That is perfect if you have to make a detour or Google maps to show you some sightseeing and shopping opportunities. Of course Google's maps service continues to display the estimated travel time. Of course, you have the choice between different means of transport. To make stopovers, it first calls the route function and enter the start and finish. Right above the three points it opens the menu and picks the record of stops.

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Plan a route with stopovers. / © Screenshots: ANDROIDPIT
Later, you can also change the intermediate stops or delete. Google adjusts the path accordingly.

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Stopovers are not written in stone. / © Screenshots: ANDROIDPIT
Zoom with just one hand
If you operated your Smartphone with only one hand, you will not use the pinch-to-zoom gesture. Google Maps has a practical solution. A double tap on the display goes to the zoom. This gradually enlarges map view.

Also a stepless zoom, or a look at the big picture is just a finger movement: just double tap and leave at the second tip the finger on the display. Now you can zoom continuously. A wiper zooms down in, a wiping zooms out upwards.

Send location
You want to share your current location or a point on a map? Simply tap on the desired location and press and hold until a red marker will appear. Now, the info box below the map shows the address and the route option from your current location. If it opens the about box, the button appears parts. In this way tells her a link to the coordinates that can open them in Google maps with your contacts.

location Google maps share
Type the street name, then on parts, and then click the target app. / © ANDROIDPIT
Reduce battery usage in Google maps: shows switch off
Google maps determines the user permanently so that the app knows where you are currently located. That makes sense, so the app can quickly display the appropriate path to the target you. It is also possible to set the location in the Android settings power-saving:

Google location settings
Reduces power consumption by her determined the site only via Wi-Fi and mobile phone. / © ANDROIDPIT
Because Google determines the location not only for maps. Repeatedly to access other Google apps on your site. These apps, you can deny access by your maps opens to the settings below left, then goes on Google site settings, all the way down on Google's site report and the points disabled location report and location history. That should relieve the battery experience already noticeably because so omitted the background processes, of which your often anything enough.

Tips and tricks for Google maps: call a taxi
Through cooperation with the taxi-app Mytaxi, you can book a taxi on Google maps (in offline mode). So also on a taxi ride to the desired destination displays information for route planning in addition to the car, bike, foot or public transport you.

In addition to the duration of travel time, the approximate cost are also represented. It is only to see if you have installed the Mytaxi app on your Android Smartphone.

mytaxi - the taxi app
Install on Google play
Driving: immediately start navigation
For the navigation function of Google maps, you must typically first enter your target and then you go first. The results are delays in determining position. Now, Google has integrated the "Shut off" option in the side menu. This Google maps immediately enters the navigation mode and set your current location via GPS. Meanwhile, you pick your target. Google provides shortcuts to restaurants and gas stations, you can you use from your search history, or just enter a destination.

go to Google maps
Immediately go with Google maps / © screenshot: ANDROIDPIT
With vibrations on the target
Did you know that Google maps can completely silently navigate you to your destination? The last few metres, which puts her back on foot, you can let her guide you through vibrations. Thus you need not permanently look on the display, to find the right lane: your Smartphone will vibrate three times, you must turn to the left. It vibrates twice, it goes to the right.

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Maps fun with the Smartwatch right - or vice versa. / © ANDROIDPIT
Are you an Android wear watch? So much the better. Then you feel same vibration directly on your wrist. The vibration is activated also when riding a bike. The prerequisite is that you switch your Smartphone to vibrate. Previously, maps uses the traditional speech.

Google maps: use offline maps
Who uses maps to the orientation and are not specifically lead must allow for the ranges often also an offline map. This has the advantage that it saves battery not only, but also as data volume. How your Google maps without an Internet connection can use, we have shown in detail elsewhere, including in a video.

So use your Google maps offline
Send routes from your PC to your Smartphone
You can send although no finished routes from your PC or Mac to the Smartphone, because the route itself is then still calculated using the corresponding buttons on the Smartphone. Her but saves time and must not start a search query on the Smartphone. Please note: assures you that you have registered on your PC or Mac and Smartphone with the same Google account.

Looking for the destination in the maps search bar on your PC.
Now you will find the button on the device at a map with information about the destination opening out send or send to device.
Now your Smartphone is searched, detected in the ideal case, and you can easily share the site with your Android Smartphone, so send it from your PC to your Smartphone.
On your Smartphone, you will receive a notification that will take you directly to the maps app, from where you can then calculate the route.
Google maps route shareing desktop mobile
On your Android Smartphone, a notification will appear when sending a position from the PC to the Smartphone received aiming. / © ANDROIDPIT
More convenient, it goes by you synchronized the search history of the Google apps. Because then you must have searched only once in the browser for "Main street, beautiful mountain". You open the search bar, then in the app exactly this query will be shown again you and you let you navigate to David Bowie's old apartment.

Google now brings you with maps home
If you have saved the home address or business address in your Google account, you can easily call them via Google now. If you have not yet entered the address, type this in your Google menu left on the option "My places". Google now gets up and says for example "take me home". Google maps shows you directly the way.

How far away is that? Measure distance to the location.
Finally, there is also a ruler be Google maps, as seen in Google Earth. Select a location by pressing and pulls up the info bar at the bottom. There types to measure distance. It moves the view, now appears a crow and dynamically to display their length. You type now on the site button below right, measures the distance between the selected point and your site.

Google maps measure distance
Only tap distance measure, and then click the location icon. / © ANDROIDPIT
Your tip
Have you discovered a secret maps feature that you want to share with us? Then leave a comment love so that everyone benefits.

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