Get the most from Google Maps
Let the Android navigate – Charles Handmer shows you the way.
Recently we were doing a lot of city and country driving, usually guided by Google Maps. Overall it worked very well, and provided remarkably accurate travel time estimates. This prompted us to delve further into the features available in Maps, some of which are quite new.
Public transport
Google Maps is now tightly integrated with public transport. Simply enter the location you want to travel to in the search bar, tap on “Directions” and tap on the icon of the train at the top. You will see a list of options based on the current time. You can check for a later train or bus by using the “Depart at” option, or simply tap “Last” for the latest time you can travel.
In Sydney, Google has partnered with Transport New South Wales to show how full the next bus or train is, and this feature is being rolled out to more cities around the world. There is even a link to set up paying for your travel by phone.
Ride sharing services such as Uber are included in the public transport mix, along with fare estimates and booking links. There’s also an option to use all modes of transport, which may give you routes that include some driving.
There are also cycling and of course walking options, and this combination of features makes Google Maps an effective planner for pretty much any trip. Plus you can specify and save your preferred routes and call them up when needed.
Music on the go
Spotify, Apple Music, and Google Play Music are now available within Google Maps so that you can play your favourite music without toggling between apps.
To activate, first ensure your music app is installed, then tap the profile icon or menu at the top right of the screen, select “Settings” then “Show media playback controls” - you will be prompted to select and activate your app. When navigating you will now see your music app icon on the map screen. Just tap it to select your road trip soundtrack!
Share locations
In Google Maps you can share your location in real time with your contacts who have Google accounts. Just tap the profile icon or menu at the top right of the screen, then select “Location sharing”. A page appears with a blue Share location button. You can choose to share your location with selected contacts for the default one hour, until you turn sharing off, or you can use the plus or minus button to adjust the sharing time. When sharing you can also see your contact’s location via a tab at the top of your screen.
You can share locations whether you are currently at that place or not. Just tap and hold on any location on the map to drop a pin. Tap the address section at the bottom of the screen to expand it, then tap “Share”. You’ll see a pop-up list of contacts and apps you can use to share the location.
Default and saved locations
Google Maps sets Home and Work locations for quick access when navigating, along with any other locations that you save. To edit these, tap the “Saved” button in the icon bar at the bottom of the Maps home screen, and then tap the “Labelled” tab at the top. To enter a home or work address for the first time or to change it, tap the three-dot menu beside it. From there you can choose a location on the map, enter an address, or change the location’s icon. You can also tap on any item to get directions to it from your current location, to open Street View, or to share the location.
To save a location, tap on the place on the map or in your search
history, expand the information by tapping on the address at the bottom, and then tap “Save”. You can choose to save it as a favourite place with the heart icon, mark it as a place you want to go, or add it to the list of your starred places. Add a label and it will appear in your “Labelled” list.
Limit your location data
But not everyone likes their location and movements being tracked, and the detailed travel history that accumulates via Google Maps can be quite startling. Tap “Your Timeline” to explore your history. If it worries you, your history can now be deleted in several managed ways.
Google now lets users set privacy controls that erase their location history from the company’s servers after a fixed period of time. You can set the system to erase your data after 3 or 18 months, or keep the data until you delete it manually. This is the simplest way we know of to keep your location data history under control.
On Android devices, tap the profile icon or menu at the top right of the screen, then select
“Your Timeline.” Tap the three button symbol on the top right and select “Settings and Privacy.” Under the Location settings section there should be options to delete all your location history, a range of data, or to automatically delete it after three or 18 months.
If you want to navigate in Google Maps without recording your search or location history at all, you can choose “Turn on incognito mode” from the profile screen. The Incognito icon will display at the top right corner when you are in this mode, and tapping it lets you change back to the standard mode.
Offline navigation
Google Maps usually downloads all the maps needed for your proposed trip, but if you expect to be offline or have poor reception you can choose to download the maps – in fact Maps might prompt you to do so if it anticipates mobile reception blackspots along the way.
Zoom
We all know how to use the pinch gesture in order to zoom in and out, but you can also zoom with one finger in Google Maps. Double-tapping on the screen will zoom in one step at a time, plus there’s another option. Double-tap on the map, leaving your finger or thumb on it after the second tap, and you’ll find that you can swipe down to zoom in and swipe up to zoom out.
Choose your route and options
Google Maps keeps it simple by defaulting to the fastest route based on real-time traffic information. Overall, this works pretty well, and Maps presents you with alternative routes both before and during your trip, although it may automatically re-route mid-journey for a faster trip.
If you tap your Profile icon at the top right of the screen and choose “Settings”, then scroll down to “Navigation Settings” you will find three Route Options:
• Avoid motorways
• Avoid toll roads
• Avoid ferries
Note that these are all-or-nothing settings, not shades of grey. So if your preferred route includes some toll roads but not others, selecting “Avoid toll roads” will exclude it. Fortunately it’s easy to toggle these options on and off to see the alternative routes they provide.