A Guide to Customizing Google Maps Settings

 Open the styler tool and customize your Google Maps by selecting the theme or adjusting its features through different sliders and options. Once you have done all the customization to your map, click on the Finish button, click on the Copy JSON, and save it during publishing your Google Maps product locator build.

Customizing Google Maps settings allows you to tailor your experience to better suit your preferences, whether you use it for navigation, exploring new areas, or planning trips. Here's a guide to help you personalize Google Maps:

1. Customizing Map Display Optionsou can change how

 the map looks to better suit your needs, including switching between map types and enabling certain layers

• Switching Map Type:

• Open Google Maps.
• Tap the “☰” (hamburger menu) or the layers icon (square with stacked lines) in the top-right corner.
• Select your desired map type:

• Default: Standard view with roads, landmarks, etc.
• Satellite: Aerial images from satellites.
• Terrain: Shows elevation and natural features.
• Traffic, Transit, and Bicycle Layers:

• From the same layers menu, you can turn on or off additional information like traffic congestion, public transit routes, or bike lanes.
• 3D Maps (Mobile only):
• To enable 3D maps, zoom in until buildings start appearing in 3D.
• You can also tilt the map by dragging two fingers up or down.

2. Setting Home & Work Locations

Save your home and work addresses to make navigation faster.

• Tap your profile picture in the top-right corner.
• Select “Your places”.
• Go to the Labeled tab.
• Tap Home or Work and enter the address.

This will allow faster routing from and to these locations

3. Customizing Navigation Settings

Personalize how Google Maps navigates for you.

• Voice Navigation:

• Tap your profile picture → Settings → Navigation settings.
• Customize voice guidance settings, including volume (soft, normal, loud) or switch to mute.

• Route Preferences
• In the same Navigation settings menu, you can adjust preferences such as avoiding tolls, highways, or ferries.
• Distance Units:
• You can switch between miles and kilometers under Settings → Navigation 
• settings → Distance units.

4. Offline Maps

Google Maps allows you to download maps for offline use, which is useful when traveling in areas with limited internet access.

• Tap your profile picture → 
• 4. Offline Maps
• Google Maps allows you to download maps for offline use, which is useful when traveling in areas with limited internet access.
• 
  
• Tap your profile picture → Offline maps.
• Tap Select your own map, then zoom in or out to choose the area you want to download.
• This downloaded map will be available without a data connection.
• 
  
• 5. Location Sharing
 maps.
• Tap Select your own map, then zoom in or out to choose the area you want to download.

This downloaded map will be available without a data connection.

5. Location Sharing

You can share your real-time location with specific people.

• Tap your profile picture → Location sharing → Share location.
• Choose a duration (or select "until you turn this off").
• Select who to share your location with from your contacts, or generate a shareable link.

6. Incognito Mode

Use this if you don't want your locations saved in your Google account.

• Tap your profile picture → Turn on Incognito mode.

While in Incognito mode, Maps won’t save your browsing or search history.

7. Dark Mode

If you prefer a dark theme for better nighttime visibility or for aesthetic reasons:

• Tap your profile picture → Settings → Theme.
• Choose Always in dark theme or set it to follow your phone's system-wide settings

8. Your Timeline & Activity Settings

Review and manage your location history.

Tap your profile picture → Your Timeline to see the places you’ve visited.

In Settings → Personal content, you can choose to turn off Location History or adjust Web & App Activity.

9. Customize Labels

You can add labels to any location to quickly find them later.

• Search for a location.
• Tap the name or address at the bottom.
• Scroll down and tap Label.

Enter a custom label (like "Favorite Café" or "Family House").

10. Explore Nearby

You can customize your feed to show restaurants, events, and activities around you.

•     Tap Explore in the bottom bar.
• Use filters like "Top-rated" or "Open now" to narrow down your search.

Additionally, Google Maps learns from your previous interactions and can show tailored recommendations over time.

11. Personalize Notifications

Control what notifications you get from Google Maps.

• Tap your profile picture → Settings → Notifications.
• Here, you can choose whether to receive updates like:
• Commute reminders
• Local recommendations
• Traffic notifications

Summary

Customizing Google Maps is a great way to make navigation more efficient and tailored to your needs. From adjusting how the map is displayed, saving locations, and setting navigation preferences, to managing offline maps and location history, Google Maps provides numerous settings to enhance your experience.