Although Apple has its own native mapping service solution, Apple Maps, there are still people who prefer to use Google Maps on their iPhone. Google’s tools have a long tradition in the mobile device market, having been the default iPhone app in the first generation of iOS and still the default on Android smartphones.
In addition, Google Maps has several useful features such as: B. Street View mode navigation, speed cameras and speed limit warnings, user ratings, various business facility locations and navigation history. It makes our lives easier in all kinds of everyday situations, doesn’t it?
If you also like the Google Maps service, you can download the Google Maps app for free from the iPhone App Store. We’ve prepared a step-by-step guide so you can learn how to use it on your iPhone and take advantage of the key features available.
1. Search for a location or tap on the map
When you open Google Maps for the first time, it will ask for your location to show you exactly where you are on the map. Tap the “Search here” field at the top of the screen with your waypoint and enter the location you want to search to start navigating. Google Maps shows the exact distance between you and the place you are looking for.
To help you get directions, Google Maps uses the accelerometer and compass features to show you your exact direction. If you can’t find it, click the arrow in the lower right corner. You can also pin a random location to measure distances, choose a navigation path, and view details.
2. Select the route option
Google Maps is great for knowing the exact distance to your destination and the options available for navigating your route. Among the various options available, it is possible to find routes for private transport apps and even flight schedules.
To find directions options, tap the blue icon with a right arrow at the bottom of the screen or search for an address in the search box at the top, select a destination, tap the “Directions” option and determine information about:
- “car”
- “motorcycle”
- “public transport”
- “on foot”
- “Private Transport”
- “bike”
- “flight”
For each option, the app will show the exact travel time next to the route (excluding flights).
3. Mark important places
Identify on Google Maps which places you want to mark as important and which are reference points in your daily life. Whether it’s your own home, workplace or gym, you can place your most visited places for easy navigation and never get lost in history.
Just click on the search box and select home, work or go to more settings for other important destinations.
This setting can better allow Google Maps to give you information about your trip before you leave home. Stay informed about traffic, travel times, possible delays and alternative routes. This helps get the best bus, subway and train forecasts and get to your destination faster. Check availability in your city to take advantage of all features.
4. Know the location ahead of time
When you’re going somewhere and need directions to a restaurant, supermarket or , just click on the relevant shortcut below the search box or swipe up on the address card. Therefore, this and other information can be found at any time, along with photos posted by users and comments from other users.
5. Navigate the streets in Street View
One of the most famous and important features of Google Maps is Street View. This allows you to walk around a certain area as if you were walking there, and it’s a great way to familiarize yourself with yourself before continuing your journey so you don’t get lost.
To use it, just tap a location on the map, then select the thumbnail that appears in the bottom left corner of the screen to open the panorama view and scroll the screen by swiping your finger forward or backward.
6. Use your voice to search for places
If you’re driving or biking and can’t stop and enter a specific location, use Google Maps’ voice feature to easily find your destination. Just go back to the app’s home screen, tap the microphone icon in the search box, and say where you want to go.
If you only want to access the feature by voice, open Navigation settings. To do this, tap your Google Account profile picture on the home screen, go to Settings > Navigation, and select the “Use ‘Ok Google’ to access your Assistant” option. Remember that the “Hey Siri” feature is turned off when you open your browser.
7. Use Google Maps Offline
No more printing and drawing maps to avoid losing internet signal midway through Google Maps. With the map download feature, you can continue to use the app even if you don’t have network coverage or decide to keep your data package for other occasions.
To do this, find the search box at the top of the screen and click your Google Services account profile picture. Then select Offline Maps > select your map. Select the region where you want to download and click Download. Once downloaded, you can easily manage your saved maps. Remember, you need to update it regularly.
8. Add destination stops and share routes
When you’re on a navigation route to a destination, you may occasionally want to add stopovers to other locations, whether it’s people disembarking, refueling, or resting.
In Google Maps, just tap the three dots in the upper right corner of the screen. Click on “Add Stop” and add the places you will pass by on your trip.
Also, take the opportunity to share those itineraries or amazing places you’ve been to with friends and family. Just open the three dots again and tap “Share Route”.
9. Listen to music while surfing the web
Relaxing music, avoiding the stress of traffic or accompanying walks and morning exercises, makes every journey more enjoyable. Integration with Apple Music and Spotify makes it easy to play, skip and change songs without leaving the navigation app.
To do this, tap your profile picture on the Google Maps home screen, go to Settings > Navigation > Music playback controls, and select an available music player of your choice.
Get ready! Once configured, a media player will appear when you start a new navigation in the app.
10. Save your favorite places
Do you already know which places you like the most in your area or want to go? Just scroll the map, find the location and hit save. Easily manage all registered addresses in the “Saved” section at the bottom of the screen.
In addition to your saved places, you can mark places you want to go under “Want to go,” bookmark or tag places, and manage your Home and Work tabs.
In this section you can also see a summary of the routes covered in the navigation. To do this, just click on the “Timeline” option and check the places you’ve been to every day, as well as the places you’ve been (shopping malls, plazas, restaurants, etc.), the cities and countries you’ve been to.
11. Contribution to other users
Google Maps relies directly on user input to provide its information and current traffic conditions, facility ratings, restaurant and hotel details, pictures of tourist attractions and other suggestions.
You can also collaborate with the app by writing your opinion about the places you’ve been, reporting issues or discrepancies in the data provided, adding businesses, landmarks or other public places to Google Maps, sending photos, and more. The app also sends you frequent notifications reminding you to rate and answer questions from other users.
Every contribution you make makes you more relevant in the app, and you can get people to follow your ratings, listings, and photos. Additionally, Google on Maps gives you visibility to different users so they can start following your instructions and vice versa. Cool, right?
12. Clear Google Maps History
If you tend to do a lot of Google Maps searches, your search history can be filled with places you may no longer know or want to go. Plus, clearing your history is a way to protect your privacy from prying eyes, especially if others can access your iPhone.
To delete this data, click on your Google Maps photo, go to “Settings”, enter “Google Maps History”, click the “Delete” button and select from the following options:
- Clear Today: Clear the search history for the current day.
- Clear Custom Range: Clears the search history for the specified time period.
- Clear All: Clears the entire search history.
- Auto-clear: Set the date on which you want to clear your entire search history.
13. Surf anonymously
Instead of having to keep deleting searches, you can use Google Maps, an incognito navigation tool. As with internet browsers, any searches or travel made in incognito mode will not be recorded in your history.
To do this, click on your Google Maps photo and select the “Turn on incognito mode” option. To exit, just click the incognito icon and choose Disable Incognito.
14. How to Change Google Maps Voice
The default Google Maps voice is great, but can be awkward if you use the app every day. Unfortunately, Google doesn’t implement different voices in Brazilian Portuguese, but you can browse in another language, Portuguese, Spanish or English.
Change your Google Maps voice by going to your profile picture in the top right corner of the screen. Then tap Voice Search and choose a new voice for the app.
15. Avoid toll booths, highways and ferries
Along the way, crossing the highway or ferry can be awkward, or worse, having to pass through toll booths. If you want to avoid this as part of your itinerary, tell Google Maps to avoid these routes.
Note, keep in mind that Google will prioritize the shortest and safest route for you. Changing these settings could lead to your commute taking you to dangerous places. Be careful and always pay close attention to the paths indicated on the map.
To choose a route option, tap your Google Maps profile picture, go to Navigation and select “Avoid highways,” “Avoid tolls,” or “Avoid ferries.”
16. Using the Google Maps Widget on the iPhone
To make your navigation even easier, take this opportunity to add the Google Maps widget to your iPhone screen. There are two options: you can pin a map showing the latest traffic conditions, store hours, reviews and other metrics, or you can do a quick search.
Then press your finger on the home screen until the “+” button appears in the upper left corner of the screen. Click this button and scroll down until you find “Google Maps”. Choose an option and click Add widget.
