Google Maps App; 6 Features You Just Can’t Ignore.

The world is currently experiencing a whole new level of ease as regards commuting and travelling within familiar and unfamiliar areas. You might love to know how the Big Field Digital team found their way to a client’s office in Ikoyi Lagos State, wait I’ll tell you.
A day before the trip, we opened up the Google Maps app and inputted the client’s office address into the search bar; in a twinkle of an eye, the map located the office and showed us the street view and estimated arrival time from our location. Although we hadn’t physically been to the location, we already knew what the place looks like and when to take off in order to get to their office right on time for the meeting. As we embarked on the trip the next day, Google Maps gave us accurate descriptions and served as a traffic guide.

Google Maps is a web mapping service developed by Google that offers satellite imagery, aerial photography, 360° panoramic views of streets (street view), real-time traffic conditions, and route planning for various means of transportation. The interface was first announced in 2005 and had reached over 1 billion users by 2007. However, the Google Maps app was released on September 2008 and has since then been helping people navigate around the world.

Here are 6 features of the Google Maps App we just can’t ignore.

Download Map

The application has a feature that lets you download an area on the map or get directions to a location to help you find your way around even when you do not have access to the internet. It is important to know that traffic information is unavailable for this feature.

Knowledge Sharing

You could become a local guide and earn points by sharing photos and reviews of the places you have visited in the past. This information will help people who intend to visit the same location; so that judging from your experience, they will know what to expect.

Save Places on The Map

You don’t always have to manually keep track of your every location when the map can save places you’ve visited in case of a subsequent visit. This is brilliant as you won’t need to always request for an address during every single visit since you have it saved on the app. Furthermore, the “Popular Times” section helps to know at what time of the day a certain location is usually crowded as well as the duration it takes before the place is decongested.

Share Your Trip Progress

At some point, you might be stuck in a heartbreaking traffic congestion and need to be at the conference meeting where other staff are seated and awaiting your arrival. You could use the ‘Share trip progress” feature on Google Maps app to let your friends/colleagues know where you are and how close/far you are to their location.

Direction and Transit

Whether you are trekking, using a public bus, bicycle or car, the app gives you real-time direction and an estimated time when you are expected to arrive at your destination. Its direction feature uses voice navigation to notify you when you are required to turn into another route, stop or traffic situations ahead.

Traffic Situation

Before you get stuck in traffic with no way out, the map gives you a clear view of what’s going on ahead of you and alternative routes to pass through.

Let’s help you get started with using Google Maps App

• First, you need to download Google Maps from the app store on your mobile device.
• Open the app after installing it. You could find a location by typing the address in the search bar or tapping and looking through the map.
• Right at the bottom, click on ‘Directions’ then include your starting point and means of transportation.
• Google Maps app gives you the expected time to arrive at your destination, alternative routes, areas with traffic congestions and the voice navigation makes it more interactive.
• You can tap ‘Done’ when you get to your destination then close the application.