What is Google Maps and how do you use it? - TechTarget

Learn about Google Maps, a web mapping platform and consumer application offering road maps, aerial and satellite views of sites worldwide, and more. Home Topics Cloudcomputing Internetapplications GoogleMaps Sharethisitemwithyournetwork: By AndrewZola WhatisGoogleMaps? GoogleMapsisawebservicethatprovidesdetailedinformationaboutgeographicalregionsandsitesworldwide.Inadditiontoconventionalroadmaps,GoogleMapsoffersaerialandsatelliteviewsofmanylocations.Insomecities,GoogleMapsoffersstreetviewscomprisingphotographstakenfromvehicles. GoogleMapsoffersseveralservicesaspartofthelargerwebapplication.Forexample,arouteplanneroffersdirectionsfordrivers,bikers,walkersandusersofpublictransportationtravelingfromonespecificlocationtoanother. Supplementalservicesofferimagesofthemoon,Marsandtheheavensforhobbyastronomers. ExampleofGoogleMapsfordesktop. WhatistheGoogleMapsAPI? TheGoogleMapsapplicationprograminterface(API)allowsdifferentsoftwareplatformstocommunicatewitheachother.Forexample,websiteadministratorscanembedGoogleMapsintoaproprietarysite,suchasarealestateguideorcommunityservicepage. ExampleofGoogleMapsformobile. WhatisGoogleMapsformobile? GoogleMapsformobileofferslocationservicesformotoriststhatusetheGlobalPositioningSystem(GPS)locationofaniOSorAndroidmobiledevice,ifavailable,alongwithdatafromwirelessandcellularnetworks. WhatisGoogleMapsGo? GoogleMapsGoisalightweightversionoftheGoogleMapsmobileappthatwasfirstreleasedforAndroidGoeditiondevices.Itwasexplicitlydesignedtorunseamlesslyondeviceswithlimitedmemoryconnectedtounreliablenetworks--withoutcompromisingspeed,accuratedirections,real-timetrafficupdatesandtransitinformation. WhatisGoogleMapsLiveView? GoogleMapsLiveViewprovidesreal-timeGoogleMapsdirectionsinareal-worldsetting.Itisessentiallyaminiaturemapatthebottomofthescreen.Userscanalsoplanajourneytoanywhereintheworld,andget3DimagesandlivesatelliteviewsoftheEarth. WhatisGoogleStreetView? GoogleStreetViewenablesuserstoviewandnavigatethroughhorizontalandverticalpanoramicstreet-levelimagesofvariouscitiesaroundtheworld. ExampleofGoogleStreetViewfordesktop. HowdoyoumeasuredistanceonGoogleMaps? Tomeasurethedistancebetweentwopoints--forexample,auser'shomeandplaceofwork--openGoogleMapsandstartbyright-clickingatthestartingpoint.Next,clickMeasuredistanceonthemenu,andthenclickatthedestinationpointtodrawalineandmeasurethedistancebetweenbothlocations. HowdoyoudownloadofflinemapsonGoogleMaps? MapscanbedownloadedformobileaccesswhenauserisofflinebytappingontheprofileiconandthentappingOfflinemaps.AusercanalsotapSelectyourownmap,andGoogleMapswillsuggestmapsbasedonhistory,upcomingtripsandsavedaddresses.Todownloadaspecificmap,pinchinandouttosetthedownloadareaandtapDownload. HowdoyoudropapininGoogleMaps? TodropapinintheGoogleMapsapp,searchforanaddressorscrolltofindthelocation.Oncealocationisselected,longpressonthescreentodropapin. HowdoyouchangetheGoogleMapsvoice? Userscanchangethelanguage,voiceandaccentinGoogleMaps.GotoSettings,tapNavigationsettings,thenVoiceselection,andmakethedesiredchanges. DetermineGPScoordinatesforlocationsinGoogleMapsondesktopbyright-clickingonthelocation. HowdoyouchangeahomeaddressinGoogleMaps? IntheGoogleMapsapp,tapSavedatthebottomofthescreen.OnceintheSavedscreen,scrolldowntoYourlistsandthentapLabeled.TheLabeledscreenshowsallthelabeledplaces.NexttoHome,tapthethreedotsandthenEdithome.Finally,taponthecurrentaddressintheSethomeaddressscreenandclearit.Onceremoved,typeinthenewaddressandsaveit. WhatisGoogleMapsIncognitomode? GoogleMapsIncognitomodeallowsuserstousetheapplicationwithoutsavingallthetripdetailstotheirGoogleAccount.Thinkofitasaprivatebrowsingmodeforreal-worldnavigationthatdoesn'tsaveorshareuseractivity. WhatisGoogleMapsTimeline? GoogleMapsTimelineisessentiallyahistoricalestimateofalltheplacesauserhasbeenandtheroutestheytookduringthejourney.GoogleMapsuserscanedittheirTimelineanytimeordeletetheirLocationHistoryintheTimelinesettings.However,Timelineisprivateandcanonlybeaccessedbytheuser. Seealso:GPScoordinates,GPStracking,GPSnavigationsystem,GPStrackingsecurity,spatialdata ThiswaslastupdatedinSeptember2022 ContinueReadingAboutGoogleMaps AcloudservicescheatsheetforAWS,AzureandGoogleCloud 6cybersecuritystrategiestosolidifypersonaldataprotection Augmentedrealitytechnologymaturesbutdeploymenthurdlesremain ExploreAPIdocumentationbasicsandbestpractices Web2.0vs.Web3.0:What'sthedifference? RelatedTerms personalareanetwork(PAN) Apersonalareanetwork(PAN)interconnectstechnologydevices,typicallywithintherangeofasingleuser,whichis... See complete definition RequestforComments(RFC) ARequestforComments(RFC)isaformaldocumentfromtheInternetEngineeringTaskForce(IETF)thatcontainsspecifications... See complete definition spambot Aspambotisanautomatedsystemthatsendsunwanted,unsolicitedmessagestousers,knownasspam. 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