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G

oogle Maps has long been the

staple app for anyone

needing help with directions

or discovering new places while

using their Android device. While

the latest update, which coincides

with Android Lollipop’s new material

design guidelines, doesn’t necessarily

have a host of new features, it does

refi ne many of the older and most

useful ones instead. Many of the

tools to help you get from A to B have

been made easier to use, while

there’s even more integration with

Google Now and several other Google

apps. This makes it the most

complete and thorough update to

Google Maps for a while.

In this masterclass we’ll be taking

a look at some of the older and newer

features available in Google Maps.

You’ l l fi nd a practical guide to help

yougetstartedwithsavingsomeof

Get more o

of Google

Maps with

these top t

your favourite maps for offl ine

v iewing when a mobile network

isn’t readily available, as well as

using Maps as a great resource fo

fi nding recommendations on ne

places. There are also quick guid

on setting primar y locations with

Maps, customising planned jour

to suit your needs and also shari

a location with any contacts stor

on your device.

1. Use more gestures
   As well as zooming in and out wit
   two fi ngers, by moving two fi nger
   upwards simultaneously, you can
   the screen to a certain direction.
   Similarly, use t wo fi ngers in a circ
   motion to rotate the map.


2. Leave a review
   After visiting one of the places you
   discovered using Google Maps, m
   sure to leave a rev iew for it. When
   then search for the place using Go
   your review will be listed under t
   reviews section.


3. Control with your voice
   When using the navigation feature
   in Google Maps, don’t forget it’s
   possibletouseyourvoicetocontrol

certain aspects of your journey.

Instead of illegally t y ping out

messages while driving, press the

mic icon within the search bar and

start speaking to get started.

4. Changing routes
   If you’ve hit a bad patch of traffi c on
   your way to a destination, look for the
   crossroads symbol on your screen to
   get an alternative path for you to
   follow. It could potentially be a more
   confusing journey, but you should
   avoid any major traffi c build-ups.


5. Distance units
   It doesn’t matter if you prefer using
   kilometres or miles, as Maps caters for
   both. The app calculates in miles by
   default, but by going to the Distance
   Units menu within settings, you can
   change this to kilometres.

»^ masterclass

3 alternatives to Maps If Google Maps isn’t for you, try these apps out instead

Waze Social GPS Simple navigation

What we love about Waze is that it makes it very

easy to tailor a journey to your needs. There are

also numerous options to help you change your

route while driving if you hit a congested stretch

of road.

“While the latest update

doesn’t have a host of new

features, it does refi ne many

of the most useful ones”

Will prolonged

useofMaps

signifi cantly

drain my

battery?

Unfortunately, yes.

Google Maps is a

battery-intensive app

that, due to the power

it needs, will go

through your battery

quickly. It’s best to use

the app sporadically

for the most part and

make sure the

Location setting isn’t

constantly activated.

Ask your own

question online at

littlegreenrobot.co.uk

MapFactor Completely free

MapFactor plays a big part in community-based

mapping, where users can upload details of roads,

buildings and other info to help people navigate. It’s

surprisingly detailed and a great alternative to

similar apps.

CoPilot GPS Offl ine mapping

Although CoPilot can be expensive if you want to buy

various map packs, it remains one of the most

thorough GPS offerings on the Play Store. Users can

download whole countries for offl ine use – perfect if

you’re doing a spot of travelling.