Over the years, Google Maps has transformed itself from being a navigational app to one which provides a bevy of information — from metro schedules, cab fares to traffic delays. On the same note, we have assembled a list of the five new and cool tricks that you can pull off using Google Maps. Check it out and see if you really know all of ’em.
1. Find Parking Spots Easily
The rise in the number of cars leads to horrifying traffic and parking woes. But with Google Maps’ parking difficulty icons, you can have heads up of the parking situation before you actually start your journey. These parking difficulty icons may range from Limited and Medium to Easy. This data is put together with the help of historical parking data and Google’s in-house machine learning algorithm. All you have to do is plan your route and the information card at the bottom will reveal the information.
2. Save Your Parking Spot
Finding a parking spot in a crowded city is one thing and getting back to that particular sport after a full day of shopping is another. Thankfully Google Maps now comes packed with the Save your parking feature which lets you effortlessly find your car in a large mall or busy street easily. All you have to do is tap on the blue dot and select Save your parking. That’s it.
3. Ask Questions
Whether it’s a quick fact-check or a genuine question, one of the common terms used by millennials these days is ‘Google it‘. And now a similar feature has been integrated with Maps. So, any questions related to a place like opening time, payment methods, exact location or the nearest landmark — you can find it all here. What’s more, you can also answer someone else’s questions or upvote the informative answers. A click on See all questions will redirect you to a new page that will show you all the related questions and answers.
4. Track Friends in Real-Time
Friends coming over for a get-together? Now, Google Maps will make tracking ETA much easier through the Location sharing feature. All they have to do is tap on the sliding menu on the left side and select Location Sharing. Users can share location for a period of 15 minutes till 3 days. Plus, there’s an option of turning it off manually. Once done, the link can be shared either through WhatsApp or any messaging app. Not only can it be used in getting the ETA of your friend’s arrival but also the whereabouts of your young one.
5. Books Uber, Ola and Meru Cabs [India]
Previously Google Maps came bundled with Uber cabs integration wherein you could book a cab from within the app. Now the same functionality has been extended to Ola and Meru cabs as well, although a tad scaled down. Though it won’t allow you to book cabs from the app, it’ll display the estimated fares for all the cab types. Using this, you can compare the fare across the three platforms and once you’ve arrived at a decision, you can open the app and book. To find the cab options, tab on the public transport mode, input the route, check the fares and book.
6. Plan Public Transport Options
Another India specific nifty feature is the integration of metro routes in Google Maps. Available only for the Delhi and Mumbai metro, it lets you check out metro routes, distance, and fare. Similar to the above, input your travelling details in the Metro or Bus mode. This feature will also display the metro stations along with the stations where you need to switch over the lines, along with the time. For more detailed info, a tap on the arrow beside the starting point/stations will show all the available metro connections.
That’s a Wrap!
These were some of the new features of the Google Maps app which were released in the last couple of months. So, how many of these did you already know? See Next: What are Google Certified Android Devices The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.
