Google Maps doesn’t just think about drivers – there are also many exciting functions for pedestrians. We’ll show you five handy features of the Google Maps app that you should know when you’re out on foot; We present the most exciting of them to you in the video.
Whether for sightseeing in a foreign city or for navigating to a specific address: Google Maps has become an integral part of many users’ smartphones. Thanks to the app, directions to all possible places can be displayed within a very short time. In addition, a time estimate is displayed, live information on public transport and current traffic information are also included. But besides all the obvious features of the application, Google Maps also comes with some not so obvious or rather hidden features. In this article, we present five features that you should know if you frequently use Google Maps as a pedestrian.
Google Maps: AR function helps with orientation
Sometimes the smartphone’s built-in compass isn’t calibrated well enough, or the GPS is a bit crazy. As a result, incorrect information is often displayed about the direction in which you are currently moving. Not long ago, Google therefore integrated an AR feature into its Maps map service. In this case, AR stands for Augmented Reality and lives up to its name: Directions and information can be displayed live on the street via smartphone as if they were real.
To enable this feature, open the Google Maps app. If you now enter any route, the “Live View” button will appear at the bottom of the screen. Press on it and click through the instructions that only appear when you start the function for the first time. You must then allow Google Maps access to the camera. Once you’ve given permission, Google Maps needs to find its way around your current location. To do this, you need to capture something of the environment around you with your smartphone. It helps to target street signs and buildings in particular.
Once Google has recognized your current location, the app will virtually display arrows and large signs with directions on the road (see video above). This saves you the annoyance of inaccurate GPS or a compass calibration that is too low and you can follow live on the screen where you have to turn when and in which direction.
AR mode works for both foot and vehicle navigation. Important: while driving, the smartphone must be attached to an appropriate car holder and recognize the road with the camera. If you hold your smartphone in your hand while driving, you are committing an offence!
If you use this function on foot, it will automatically switch on and off based on how you hold your smartphone. If the smartphone is actively held up and the camera recognizes the surroundings, AR mode is switched on. If you then lower the smartphone and the camera points to the ground, the AR mode is automatically deactivated and the classic map view is displayed in full screen mode.
View route details in advance
When you enter a route in Google Maps, you will then see an approximate route between the start and end locations. The user receives information about which route options he has with the selected type of travel, how long the route is and how much time the journey takes. But Google Maps provides more information about the route, which is not displayed immediately. For example, information about parking options by car, the current traffic situation and the individual route steps including an illustration are hidden. The feature is particularly useful when walking in an unfamiliar city, as you can see straight away what the right path looks like.
To see this information, enter any route in Google Maps, and then instead of immediately clicking on “Start”, click on the “Details and Parking” button. A window will now appear that displays detailed information about the route and detailed step-by-step instructions on the way (see image above).
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Activate 3D view in Google Maps and bring buildings to life
By default, the Google Maps app shows the traditional 2D view of the classic map. But as boring as the classic map view may seem at first, it can be pretty and exciting: In the 3D view of the map, buildings are shown in their real form.
To be able to use this view, you must first zoom in on the map sufficiently and then switch to the 3D view. For the latter, just scroll up anywhere on the map with two fingers. You can then see how the fields that previously marked building boundaries grow into real buildings in their original form. This is especially useful if you already want to make a plan of how the path you want to take will look like. Especially in the city center or in very densely frequented public places, this gives you a somewhat better overview.
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Google Maps: Add frequently used route to home screen
If you very often start the same route in the same type of travel, then a shortcut for this special navigation could be worthwhile. This shortcut then behaves similarly to an app icon on your home screen. If you then click on this, Google Maps opens and immediately sets the destination and the type of trip, just as you set it when creating the shortcut. You can start a complete navigation with one click and save yourself the detour via entering the address and selecting the type of travel.
To add such a shortcut to the home screen in Android, start your navigation once as usual. So enter your destination address and select the type of travel you want. Don’t click on “Start” but on the three dots in the top right corner. In the menu that now opens, select “Add route to start screen”. You will then receive a preview of the shortcut and can now add it. From this point on, a click on the shortcut is sufficient to start the navigation.
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If it has to be quick: find the next e-scooter
Those who travel on foot are usually not in a hurry. But sometimes it just has to happen quickly and the next suitable bus or train stop is not always just around the corner. For this purpose, Google Maps has an alternative ready in larger cities with e-scooters: If you select a navigation within the scooter area and choose a different type of travel than by car, then Google Maps will also show available e-scooters in addition to the selection of routes. Scooter, such as Lime or Tier. Google shows the approximate price for the route with the scooter and a direct link to unlock a found scooter in the app.
The route will be adjusted accordingly, as driving e-scooters is not permitted in pedestrian zones. If the shortest route is a pure pedestrian zone, then the suggested route around the zone is diverted to the nearest road or cycle path.
If you are within the scooter area of the provider and traveling with one of the scooters is an option, a corresponding symbol will be displayed next to the time calculation for one of the route suggestions. This proposed route is then planned for a trip with the e-scooter.
If you mainly travel by car, Google Maps can also help you with various practical functions on the road, from finding a parking space and avoiding rush hour to the perfect time to get on. In this article, we present some helpful features of the map app: Google Maps: 5 practical features that every driver should know.