How to Use Google Maps Like a Pro

 Using Google Maps like a pro involves knowing tips, shortcuts, and features that enhance your navigation, trip planning, and map interaction. Here’s a guide to getting the most out of it:

1. Offline Maps

• Download Maps for Offline Use: Perfect for areas with poor or no internet connection.
• Go to the area you want, tap on the location name, and select Download. You can zoom in or out to customize the area you need.
• Access downloaded maps by tapping your profile photo → Offline maps.

2. Use Voice Commands

• If you're driving and want to change your destination or look for gas stations, say "OK Google" followed by your request, like "Find gas stations nearby" or "What's my ETA?" This feature works only if Google Assistant is enabled.

3. Real-Time Traffic Info

• Check Traffic in Real-Time: Before you head out, tap the layers icon (three stacked squares) and choose Traffic. You’ll see red, yellow, and green lines representing current traffic conditions.
• Alternative Routes: While navigating, Google will suggest alternate routes if it finds a faster one.

4. Explore Places Nearby

• Use Explore to find restaurants, cafes, hotels, and attractions nearby. You can access this by tapping on a location, then swiping up on the info card.
• You can also filter by what’s open now, customer ratings, or distance.

5. Street View

• Get Street-Level Views: Drop the yellow Pegman (bottom-right corner) on a street to enter Street View.
• Measure Distances: In Street View, tap a location and select Measure Distance to find out how far it is from your current spot.

6. Custom Lists & Favorite Places

• Save Locations: Long-press on a location or tap a place’s name and select Save to add it to your custom lists, like Favorites or Want to Go.
• Share Lists: You can create custom lists for trips and share them with friends by going to Your Places → Saved → + New list.

7. Incognito Mode

• Turn On Incognito Mode if you don’t want your searches and movements tracked by Google. Tap your profile icon and select Turn on Incognito mode.

8. Timeline History

• Check your past trips by tapping your profile icon → Your Timeline. You can see places you’ve visited, routes taken, and even activities like walking, biking, or driving.

9. Use AR Walking Directions

• In supported areas, use Live View for augmented reality (AR) walking directions. You’ll see arrows and indicators on the screen guiding you in real-time.
• Tap on Directions, then Walking, and tap Live View.

10. Measure Distances Between Locations

• Tap anywhere on the map and hold to drop a pin. From there, select Measure Distance. You can continue dropping additional points to measure total distances.

11. Share Real-Time Location

• Share Your Location in real-time for a specific duration with contacts. Tap your profile photo → Location Sharing, and choose who you want to share with, for how long.

12. Create Custom Maps

• Use My Maps (a Google Maps extension) to create custom maps, mark points of interest, or plan routes. This is great for road trips or exploring cities. Access it via the Google My Maps website or through the app under Your Places → Maps.

13. Use Indoor Maps

• For airports, malls, and large venues, zoom in on the building and tap specific floors to see the layout, including shops, gates, and services.

14. Use Google Maps in Split-Screen Mode

• If you’re multitasking, you can use Google Maps in split-screen mode alongside another app (available on Android). Swipe up from the bottom and choose the other app to run simultaneously.

15. Plan Multi-Stop Routes

• You can add multiple destinations to your route. Enter your starting point, then tap the three dots and select Add Stop. You can reorder the stops to create an efficient route.

16. Check Transit Schedules

• For public transportation users, tap on a station or stop to see live transit schedules and delays. You can also see bus or train routes to plan your journey more effectively.

Conclusion

For a quick way to poke around Google Maps without leaving any obvious footprints, go Incognito. Google Maps won't save your browser or search history in your account or send notifications. Your searches and movements won't be added to location history or shared location. And Google won't use your activity while you're in Incognito Mode to personalize Maps. This mode has advantages when you want to peep a location without having it tangled up with your search history, but just as on web browsers, it doesn't make you invisible. To turn the mode on, tap your avatar and select Turn on Incognito mode; the Incognito icon appears in the search bar. Tap it and select Turn off Incognito mode to switch it off.