Smartphones/tablets have become an indispensable part of our lives.
No longer are these limited to the traditional call and text features,
but extend way beyond. One of the many uses include satellite
navigation, helping you reach your destination. GPS is perhaps one of
the more often used features on our smartphones and of the many apps
that exist for helping you find your way through the thick and thin, one
name that almost certainly crawls up is Google Maps.
Whether you
are on Android, or iOS, Google Maps is there to help you, and we are
here to help you use it more efficiently. The following tips and tricks
along with shortcuts will help you reach your desired spot more hassle
free:
---Voice guided turn-by-turn navigation
1.
Simply search for your destination; then tap on the blue car icon to
the right of the place's name to enter the Directions menu.
2.
In the Directions menu you can choose the most preferred route option.
Tapping on the blue 'Start navigation' option will begin voice guided
turn-by-turn navigation to it.
Alternatively, tapping and
holding the blue car icon automatically picks up the best route, in case
you're in a hurry to jump into navigation straight away.
3.
To choose Hindi navigation support, you need to select Hindi as the
default language from Settings > Language and Input.
The turn-by-turn navigation feature of Google Maps gives you an ETA for your destination so that you can plan your time better.
---Changing the orientation of the map
You can change the orientation of the map to point in the direction you're moving in by:
1.
Once you're in navigation mode, tap the compass icon on the right side
of the screen to see the map from your point of view.
---Saving/viewing offline maps
This
saves you the trouble of having a working data connection all the time.
What it essentially does is download a specific area on the map when
data connection is available and make it available for viewing when
connection is off.
Note that offline maps are not available on the Google Maps for Mobile app for each and every area.
Saving an available area for offline viewing is simple:
1. Move the map to the area you'd like to save.
2.
Touch anywhere inside the search box at the top of the map, and scroll
down to the bottom. You'll find the 'save map' option, just tap it to
use it offline.
---Using public transit
Selecting
the bus icon at the top of your 'To and From' directions page will
bring up all the transit lines available in the city that you can use to
get to your location.
It gives you the number of the public
transit as well as the ETA to the desired spot for the respective
transit. You can then choose accordingly.
Clicking on options
opens up the preferences mode wherein you can choose the way you wish to
commute (bus, train etc.). By default, all transit lines are shown for a
particular area.
---Walking directions
Google
Maps gives you the option to commute to a spot by car (by default), by
public transit or by walking. Note that not all locations will have all
options together.
To get walking directions to and from the
bus or train stops required to get to your destination, you simply need
to select the walking icon at the top of your 'To and From' directions
page.
---Recommendations for local businesses
You can use
Google Maps to get recommendations for hotels, restaurants, and things
to do. Simply choose a category you wish to explore in the search bar
and Maps will bring out a list of places available near your current
location depending on your category.
Once you select the place, just swipe upwards to see the full details.
---Favourite places
Go
to Google Maps settings > Edit home or work to add your locations.
Once this is done, all you'll have to do next time is type in home or
work in the search bar to receive directions automatically. This is
particularly helpful when you're on the go. You can also add other
favourites similarly.
---Sharing locations with friends
1. Touch and hold to drop a pin on your desired spot in Google aps. Tap on the place's description to see more details.
2.
Look for the Share button in the details section, and select the mode
(Facebook, WhatsApp, etc.) you want to share this location through and
you're done.