Need a brain break? Visit Wonders of Street View, an interactive map of some of the wackiest stuff on Google Maps in one place. Click “Random” in the top right corner for a new wonder. I spent too long exploring an abandoned mining town in Beaverhead County, Montana.
See what the home you grew up in looks like now and other Maps tricks
I grew up in New Jersey, right next to a state park. I still remember riding my bike all day like it was yesterday. Oh, and the time I threw a snowball at a police car and hit the cop inside. That was bad.
I hadn’t looked at the house in years, so seeing it on a map took me back. While at it, take yourself on a walk down memory lane, too.
Blast from the past
There’s something special about seeing what the house you spent your childhood in looks like now — or you can flash back for as long as Google has been collecting pictures in that area.
- Open the Google Maps app and search for a place.
- At the bottom, tap the place name or address.
- Scroll and select the photo labeled Street View or select the thumbnail with a Street View icon.
- While viewing a location in Street View, tap anywhere on the image, then tap See more dates.
💡 I have an idea. While looking at your old house, write down three memories in the Notes app on your phone. Next time you’re with the kids, show them the house and tell them a few stories. So fun!
Plan ahead and save on gas
The longer you spend in traffic, the more gas you’ll burn. Google Maps helps you plan a future trip, taking in predicted traffic, routes, and road conditions along the way.
Here’s how to set a planned time and date for a trip:
- Open the Google Maps app and tap on the Search here field.
- Enter a destination and select it from the results.
- Tap Directions and then the three dots button to the right of the Your location field.
- Tap Set depart or arrive time.
- Select Depart at and enter a date and time, then tap Done.
- You’ll get various route options and details such as time and distance.
- Select a route and tap Start.
Step inside buildings
With Google Maps, you can virtually visit the inside of places such as stores, airports or hotels. It’s fun to check out photos of places uploaded by other people, too.
Google is doubling down on AI across its services
The artificial intelligence (AI) wars are heating up as Google tries to play catch-up with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which is now being used by many tech companies to improve their services.
Judging by the mishaps we’ve already seen, the Alphabet company has a long way to go. Google has had AI capability baked into its products for some time (including better translation quality in Google Translate), but generative AI will take things to a new level.
See your neighborhood over time
It’s pretty amazing to check out your old childhood home and see how it looks now. With Google Street View, it’s just a couple of clicks away.
🏠 Off the grid: More folks are blurring their homes and businesses on Google Maps. With burglaries and break-ins on the rise, thieves can easily use Maps to scout properties and find the best way in. Protect yourself: Search for your address on Google Maps Street View, click Report a problem in the bottom right, select what you want blurred and answer the questions.
Google’s Street View relies on cars with multiple cameras for its pics. What was the first animal Google hired to capture a place they couldn’t access by car? Was it a … A.) Bird, B.) Camel, C.) Gorilla or D.) Penguin?
Google Maps and Apple Maps: 8 hidden settings you'll use all the time
Thanks to the constellation of satellites, we can use GPS to chart our paths. We don’t have to worry about getting lost in new areas because navigation apps help us find our way through unknown territory. They also offer plenty of secret GPS settings you should know about.
You can see shipwreck sites on Google Maps — including the Titanic
Google Maps is a great application if you want to tour the world from the comfort of your computer chair. Sure, it is also great for getting around in real life with turn-by-turn directions, but nothing beats zipping around the globe at the click of a button.
Don’t be a boob: A woman was caught on Google Maps pulling up her tanktop just as the Google Street View van snapped photos. Google employees have since pixelated the X-rated picture, but that hasn’t stopped it from going viral.
Hidden map on your phone shows everywhere you’ve been and the photos you took there
Google Maps makes navigating unfamiliar cities frustration-free and straightforward. It has an innovative feature that you’re probably not taking full advantage of, Street View. Sure it’s great for looking at your childhood home. But, you can use it for things like creating your own stories and even going indoors.
Use this simple Google Maps trick to see your house (or any other place) years ago
Your phone’s built-in GPS can do more than get you from point A to B. It can act as a tour guide in a new city or show you the best nearby restaurants, according to user reviews.
Did you know that your GPS can also help you save on gas? Both Apple Maps and Google Maps can give you traffic forecasts for a future date based on the regular activity at that time. Less traffic means less fuel burned. Tap or click here to learn more.
How to remove everything you've found about yourself on Google
If you look yourself up on Google, you might encounter something you don’t want the public to see. Maybe it’s something you posted to social media years ago or records about some trouble you got into when you were younger. You might also run into data like your home address and phone number — things you don’t want strangers to know.
You can blur out your home in Google Maps and Apple Maps – Here’s how
Google Maps changed the way we navigate unfamiliar cities. But it’s more than just a navigational tool. Tap or click for 10 ways to use Google Maps you never thought of before.
As the service evolved, Google unleashed hundreds of vehicles with massive 360-degree cameras onto the streets of the world. By stitching together millions of photographs, Google launched Street View, which gives you the ability to go down to street level and see it from the ground.
10 ways to use Google Maps Street View you never thought of before
Google Maps and its Street View feature can present some truly interesting sights. Whether you’re exploring an area you want to visit or you’re preparing for a trip, both are invaluable tools.
You never know what you’ll see there, for one thing — and sometimes the sights can be downright shocking. Tap or click here to see how people found shocking pictures on Google Maps.
Hidden map on your phone shows everywhere you've been and the photos you took
GPS apps like Google Maps make navigating unfamiliar cities so much easier. It even has a clever feature that you might not even take advantage of, Street View. You can use it for things like creating your own stories and time traveling. Tap or click here for 10 ways to use Street View you never thought of before.
This app helps you get where you're going without tracking you using GPS
Remember the days before GPS was around and trying to navigate through an unfamiliar city? Struggling to read one of those old paper maps could turn into a nightmare real quick and many times you’d have to swallow your pride and ask a local for directions.
Shocking: People finding pics of deceased loved ones on Google Maps
When you fire up Google Maps, you probably think of it as more of a digital navigator than a tour guide or travel slideshow. Nevertheless, people love to explore the world with Google Street View.
But Google Maps, and by extension Street View, also collects a staggering amount of data about local users. Sometimes, Street View will even let you take a trip back in time to see what a location looked like years ago. Tap or click to learn how to use Street View History.