Google Maps is now one of the most popular services. It is an extremely versatile tool that is quick and simple to use. It assists users in a variety of ways, from measuring the distance between any two locations to providing directions to drivers, bikers, walkers, and users of public transportation.
Most importantly, it’s completely free. Google Maps has made our lives so much easier than it’s difficult to imagine life without it.
Do you know how to use google maps? If your answer is “No”, then you don’t have to panic. Here Tontimes teaches you how to get started with Google Maps on your computer, phone, or tablet. You’ll never get lost again with a little practice.
Note that Google Maps is available on both computers and mobile devices. To access Google Maps on a computer, visit https://www.google.com/maps in a web browser. More so, Google maps work best if you have locations turned on.
Here is a step-by-step instruction on how to use Google Maps.
However, before you start using Google Maps, you need to do the following:
- Turn on your location or GPS on your phone
- Allow Google Maps access to your current location and audio speakers.
How To Use Google Maps: The Beginners Guide
Below is a step-by-step instruction on how to use Google Maps.
- Open the Google Maps app on your phone or tablet.
- Search for a place in the search bar or tap it on the map. Type the name of a place or an address in the search bar
- In the bottom right, tap directions. (You can even add the destinations by yourself in the search bar): This marks the location on the map using a red map maker icon
- To add a destination, go to the top right and tap more, followed by adding a stop.
- Select one of the following options:
- Driving
- Transit
- Walking
- Ride Services
- Cycling
- Other routes will be shown in gray on the map if they are available. Tap the grayline to follow a different route.
- Tap Start, to start navigation.
- To cancel or stop navigation, go to the bottom left and tap Close
More so, you can even listen to voice directions. So that you can hear voice directions when you navigate to a location.
Avoiding Tolls, Highways, and Ferries In Google Maps
1. Open Google Maps: To open Google Maps, tap the Google Maps icon on your home screen or apps menu.
2. Get directions to a specific location: To find an address or the name of a location, use the top search bar. Then, tap Directions to get directions to a specific location.
3. Tap Menu (…): It’s the three-dot icon to the right of the search bar at the top. This brings up the options menu.
4. Click Route Options: That is the first option at the top of the Options menu. This displays routes you may want to avoid.
5. To avoid certain route options, check the box or toggle the switch next to them: When possible, you can instruct Google Maps to avoid highways, tolls, and ferries.
- You can also tap Remember settings on iPhone and iPad to apply your route options to all Google Map queries.
6. On Android, tap the blue button that says Done. To return to the map on iPhone and iPad, tap the icon that looks like a bracket pointing left in the upper-left corner.
How To Share Directions and Locations
Follow the steps below to share locations and directions from google maps with other persons.
- Open Google Maps: Tap the Google Maps icon on your home screen or apps menu.
- Get directions to a specific location: To find an address or the name of a location, use the top search bar. Then, tap Directions to get directions to the location/place.
- Tap Menu (…): It’s the three-dot icon to the right of the search bar at the top. This brings up the options menu.
- Tap Share location or Share directions: These are the final options in the options menu. “Share location” allows you to share your current location, while “Share directions” allows you to send directions to a specific location.
- Then, select how long you want to share your location: You can choose how long your location will be shareable. You can change the time your location will be available by tapping the radio button next to “For 1 hour” and then tapping the plus (+) or (-) icon next to the option. Tap the radio button next to “until you turn this off” to share your location until you turn it off or close it.
- Tap the app with which you want to share your directions or location: You can share your directions and location via text messaging, email, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, or another app of your choice. This will generate a new message in the messaging app of your choice, complete with a URL to your directions.
- Tap More to see the full list of apps on your device.
- Alternatively, you can copy the URL to your directions and manually paste it into whichever apps you want to use by tapping the icon that looks like two overlapping squares.
7. Choose a contact:
Select a contact with whom you want to share your location or directions using your email or messaging app.
8. Create a short message: Write a brief message informing your contact that you are sharing directions or your location and that they can view it on their own device by using Google Maps.
9. Send the message: Once you’ve composed a message with the URL in it, tap the Send button. Your contact will be able to view your location or directions on their own device using the Google Maps app.
How To Find Local Businesses and Attractions
Finding any type of business, workplace, hotel, restaurant, or any other place of interest to you is now very easy with the help of Google Maps. Follow these steps to find any local business and attraction within your area.
1. Open Google Maps: Google Maps is available on computers as well as mobile devices. To use Google Maps on a computer, open a web browser and navigate to https://www.google.com/maps or click here.
2. Choose the type of location you’re looking for: You can search for various types of services near your location using the tabs below the search bar. To view a list of nearby services, select one of the tabs. To see more options, swipe left on the tabs. Restaurants, coffee shops, bars, hotels, gas stations, attractions, parks, and other services are available.
However, If the service type you’re looking for isn’t listed, tap More to see all available options, or type the service into the search bar.
More so, you can also type a specific business name into the search bar to see a list of nearby businesses.
3. Filter your search results using the tabs and drop-down menus:
When you tap one of the tabs, it replaces the tabs with tabs and drop-down menus that you can use to filter your search results. Filter your search results by Open Now, Price, Top Rated, Visited, Good for Kids, Haven’t Visited, and more by tapping one of the tabs or drop-down menus.
More so, places like Restaurants, for example, have additional options such as Cuisine or the ability to take reservations.
4. Select a location by clicking or tapping on it: When viewed in a web browser, businesses and landmarks are listed at the bottom of the screen or in the panel to the right. To view information such as the address, phone number, parking information, website, menu and prices (if applicable), and more, click or tap the name of a location.
- Click the address to mark its location on the map.
- Tap Directions to get directions to the business.
- Click or tap Call or the business phone number to dial the business phone number in your smartphone call app.
- Tap or click Prices to view prices for the service.
- Click or tap Menu to view menus of food the business serves.
- Tap or click Reviews to see reviews of the business.
How to use Google Maps Street View
- Open google map
- Tap on the Map icon/logo
- Tap on the street view option. This is only available for smartphone and tablet apps only.
- You Can Zoom in as close as possible
- Double-tap the blue line in other to enter Street View mode. Simply keep zooming in on a desktop web browser to enter Street View mode.
- Tap or click and drag to rotate your view
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