There is no doubt that the number of users who use a map and navigation application when consulting a certain route is increasing, for example when they drive with their vehicle, or when they visit a new city and go sightseeing while walking. And Google Maps is, along with Maps (from Apple), one of the most used options by most.
Both are characterized, it is true, for being very easy to use, so that even less experienced users can open the application on their mobile phones, search for an address and start using it.
However, in the case of Google Maps there are a series of useful tricks that can even be of great help when it comes to maximizing the experience and use of the app. We will discover some of them below.
Activating Live View to visually check where we are going
When we are walking to a certain place, it can be difficult to follow a small blue dot, especially when figuring out where we are going. Luckily, with the Live View tool we can see exactly where we are going while holding the phone screen, in real time .
To use it, this function uses our camera to scan the surrounding buildings and streets, placing a huge arrow on the screen to help us find the exact location. But how to activate it?
In the app, we must enter our destination and touch Directions . We now select the Walk icon , located at the top of the map screen, and at the bottom of the screen we touch the Live View button.
Now we simply point the camera at buildings or street signs, and when we start walking towards our destination, large arrows and the name of the street will appear on the screen to guide us.
Using Google Maps without an internet connection
It seems that, at times, Murphy’s Law is conspired so that our Internet connection fails at the most inopportune moments, being able to lose the signal when we most need to access an address.
Luckily, Google Maps offers us the possibility to download the route in advance , to avoid unnecessary problems when at times we lose the connection.
In the app, we enter our destination and, at the bottom of the screen, we touch the name of the place where we want to go or the address. We touch the icon with three dots located in the upper right corner, and then click on Download offline map .
Then, we tap Download . Finally, the map of the area that we have selected will be available to be consulted offline.
Easily finding an area to park our vehicle
When we are in a new city, knowing where we could park our vehicle is something as essential as it is important, especially when we are driving in an unfamiliar place or are late for an appointment (or work). And Google Maps can be very useful in this regard.
In the app, we enter our location and touch the Directions button. Next to the estimated time it would take us to reach a certain location, we will see a P icon. Once pressed, we will be indicating to the application that we want to search for a parking place.
If the P icon is shown in red it means that it is a type of limited parking. If it is blue, it will mean that finding it will be much easier. Next, if we click on the Find parking option, a list of parking areas will be displayed.
We select one of them and press the Add parking button. This area will appear as the first stop on our route.
Planning the route of our entire trip (including possible stops)
If Google told us that our trip would take eight hours, and it ended up being ten hours, it is possible that we did not include our multiple stops along the way. To solve this, Google Maps offers us the possibility of adding stops in order to obtain, at least, a more precise arrival time .
To do this, we must open the Google Maps apps, enter our destination , touch the Directions button and the three-dot icon located in the upper right corner.
Once this is done, we tap on the Add stop option, and add as many stops as we might need. When we are done, we press the Done button. In this way, we will be able to obtain a more precise duration, much more useful when planning our trips.
