USEFUL GOOGLE MAPS TIPS AND TRICKS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Useful Google Maps tips and tricks you need to know

Google Maps is very useful tool, so make it work for you with some of these simple tips and tricks.

Save your home and work addresses

If you have location reporting turned on on your phone Google has a pretty good idea of where your home and work are and will ask you to confirm its guess in Google Now, but if you want to cut straight to the chase you can manually enter your home and work address in Google Maps. Try this...

Just swipe in from the left edge to reveal the side panel and tap Settings, then tap Edit home or work and enter one or both addresses. Not only will this let Google Now give you "time to home" and "time to work" suggestions based on when it thinks you need them, it also enables the quick and easy "take me home" voice command in Maps and will give your home address as a saved option when navigating.

Check depart or arrive timetables for bus and train

You can also use Google Maps to check up on bus and train times to any location. Simply enter the location you want to travel to in the search bar, tap on the blue transportation button in the bottom-right corner, and tap on the icon of the train. You’ll see a list of options based on the current time.

If you want to check when a later train is available or see when the last train leaves, then tap where it says Depart at and enter a specific time, or you can tap on Last to find your latest option. You can also filter the results by type of transport (bus, train, underground), and set preferences in terms of fewer transfers or less walking via Options in the top-right corner.

Save maps to view offline

Google Maps does offer basic offline mapping capabilities.

To save an area for offline use, tap the search bar and then scroll to the bottom of the screen and tap Save map to use offline. You'll be taken back to the map with a prompt to pan and zoom to the area you want to save — everything viewable on the screen will be saved so long as it isn't too big. Tap Save offline map, give the map a name, and it will remain on your device for 30 days before it's deleted.

Keep in mind that the downloaded maps don't include points of interest or navigation — you're just getting raw map data for the area and nothing more.

Save your favorite locations

You can also save locations quite easily, and it can be a real time-saver in the future when you look for a place again. In order to do it, simply tap on the place you want to save on the map, expand the information by tapping on the address at the bottom, and then tap the star that says Save underneath.

When a location has been saved, that star will be gold. Go into the menu and you’ll find Saved places listed under Your places.

Create your own maps

Whether you want to share your knowledge with friends, or help guide your kids or elderly parents, the ability to create custom maps can prove very useful. Google offers a set of tools for creating your own maps, marking routes, points of interest, directions, and more.

To get started, make sure you’re signed into your Google account and go to My Maps in your browser.

You should get a short tutorial with tips if this is the first time you’ve tried it. It’s easy to set a location and mark your POIs and routes, but you can also import layers and data, color different areas and routes, and a lot more. Your creations are automatically saved to your Google Drive, and you can find them in the Google Maps app on your phone via the menu > Your places.

See street view on mobile

If you want to see a photo of any location, then you need Street View. Touch and hold on the map to drop a pin on your chosen location, then tap at the bottom where it says Dropped pin (or the address) to bring the information up. You should see an image that says Street View on it. Tap that, and you’ll launch into Street View at your chosen location.

 You can also share that Street View by tapping the menu in the top-right corner and tapping Share.