I'm the kind of person who might get lost walking down the street if it weren't for the super-precise GPS on my smartphone. I'm thankful to be an adult in the era of smartphones.
Keeping that in mind, Google has shared a blog with 10 top tips for making the most out of Google Maps. Like most apps, there are probably some features in the blog that you might not have been aware of. Three of them caught my attention:
1. You might know this feature exists but often forget it's there. When you use the Maps app for directions, you can click on the three dots in the top-right corner and select "add stop" to add all your destinations. Google Maps will then calculate the best route to reach all of your stops.
2. How many times have you found yourself with poor cell service, whether in a rural area or a crowded tourist spot? Next time, plan ahead and download a map. You can find this option by clicking on your profile, selecting "offline maps," and choosing the area you'd like to have available offline.
3. Imagine you're heading to the same destination as friends or family. You might want to share your locations, so each group knows when the other is expected to arrive. You can share your location through your profile under the "location sharing" tab or share progress on a specific trip by swiping up on the navigation screen to reveal the "share trip progress" option.
Google's Rachel Hespell has listed a total of 10 tips, all of which are pretty helpful—especially for those, like me, who are not great with directions. There are tips for using features like Immersive View, an AI-powered tool that has recently expanded to more cities.
Street View, one of my personal favorite features, wasn't mentioned in Google's tips. But I find it incredibly cool that you can use Maps to view historical images of your home, which can take you on a trip down memory lane.