In terms of Navigate the world and find addresses, roads, places and businesses in a practical way, an application is required that offers high-tech maps and facilitate the location of the sites you want to find.
The reason why we made this post, It can vary according to the needs or uses you want to use. In this article, we will introduce the definition of Google maps, its work capacity and the different advantages it offers.
Here, We will tell you some tips and features of the application that you can take into account to use.
What is Google Maps and what is this application for?
Google maps is a tool developed by Google, that allows to find any type of location, such as a city, business, hotel, street, etc. The application was published on 8 February from 2005, Since then, its popularity has grown considerably. The app has a help service called Street view that was launching in the 2007. This software enables users to view 360 ° panoramas of roads or locations in a variety of countries and cities.
Its visualization system works with satellite data and aerial photographs, which increase the presentation and level of detail of the digital map. In this way, specific locations can be found using scrollable map images. One of the main faculties offered Google Maps, is your GPS tracking and geolocation system, allowing the user through their mobile device or equipment, have the exact location of it.
What are the best Google Maps features you should know about?
This application has a wide variety of features and functions that stand out Google maps as a very efficient app, since it allows you to do much more than just teach you how to get to a place in a country you don’t know.
Some of the most prominent are:
Exploring an area
In this section, you can choose the nearby attractions: restaurants, historical sites, parks, museums, among others. For this option, you just have to select the category of your interest on the map and you will immediately be shown additional information, ratings and comments about said chosen place. Further, In Google Maps you can zoom in and out to show the map and thus visualize the streets or places in an optimal way.
Travels
This function, allows you to see specific information about the different trips what you do. For example, you will see the fastest route from home to work, showing you the real-time traffic status, along with the average time your journey will take. This either by car, public transport, motorcycle, bicycle or on foot.
Personalization
In this service you can make a list of your favorite sites, places to visit, highlights and tagged. This way, you can access only by clicking on the sites that you have tagged and saved.
Offline Areas
Google maps has the ability to download maps of certain areas. This function is intended to allow you to see and access driving directions without Wifi or a data connection, since we are not always in spaces that have a good signal.
Share Location
Another of its qualities is that it allows you share your position in real time with friends or family. You simply select the desired contact and you can send you the location through WhatsApp, SMS, email, or other communication methods, the exact route, specific place and time of arrival.
Is Google Maps a risk to our security and privacy?
Although it is considered as one of the most used applications with a high potential character in technology. Google maps it still presents serious problems that can pose a risk to users. One of the big problems it has had, is the constant counterfeiting. For example, anyone who wants to find a specific location in the app can expose themselves to a falsified information, harming users and even many business owners.
On the other hand, scams on Google Maps they have also had great symbolism in some cases. Those who like to book online may be affected by paying for the places the application points to (which mostly have a high score), these places can be a scam and the quality of service they can receive in return is below of expectations.
As we mentioned earlier, Google Street View is an additional service of the app that gives you the benefit of displaying panoramic views of the street. However, many people believe that this technology violates their privacy, and it has become a huge criticism in many countries.
It can be added that, in the year 2014 some documents written by the journalist Edward snowden They were filtered and the environment on the Internet changed a lot. People say that Google maps is part of a secret global surveillance network, run by various intelligence agencies and Western companies.
The best Google Maps tricks to get the most out of the application
The navigation app has many properties that make the service even more surprising.
Here are some of the most prominent tricks that you can take full advantage of on Google Maps:
3D view
The app comes with an in-view simulator with satellite image. This mode allows the user tilt your view; and the ability to move freely through the streets of the city.
However, this option is not available for all cities, but you can activate it by executing the following steps.
- Find a city and select the satellite view.
- On the right side of the map, a column of icons should appear; along with one that says “3D”. Click and you will immediately be in 3D mode.
- You can hold down the key “Control” while dragging the mouse, to change the angle and tilt of the image.
Travel history
Google maps bring a record of activities of trips made or places visited, that you can consult at any time or simply delete them so that they are not stored anymore. Also, you can see in detail addresses that you have defined for some course. To enter the history of your trips and places visited, you just have to go to the icon with three bars that is in the upper corner of the map, and then click on the option “Your Chronology”.
Location of nearby places
This is one of the most frequently used functions, as it allows you to find nearby items (like restaurants, hotels, gas stations or ATMs) from a precise point.
You can do it this way:
- Find the location exact of your interest.
- Click on the icon to be created in it.
- Then in the sidebar you will see nearby business shortcuts.
- The search bar will change slightly allowing you to find other nearby attractions.
List of the best alternative apps to Google Maps that you should know
Among the most mentioned Google Maps alternatives of the moment we have:
OpenStreetMap.org
Is a open data service that can be used from the browser or mobile. In it you can freely copy, distribute, transmit and adapt our maps and information. To use the application without Internet it is required download memory-intensive images.
Maps.me
Is a open source mobile app, which provides downloaded maps and multiple location benefits, for example, It contains categories such as entertainment, hotels, restaurants, and food. The peculiar thing about this tool is that if you search for “Food” and then select the type of dish you prefer, it will show you a list of nearby restaurants that offer that option.
Navmii.com
It is an app that uses the map OpenStreetMap. You can choose to manually download the maps and save them offline so they can be opened and used without problems.
Waze.com
The maps obtained through this application are not free, but like Google maps, they must be approved by the owner. It is suitable for any mobile system. Its main function is provide data on current traffic conditions.
HERE WeGo
Contains totally free maps but their use is not strictly online on the contrary, its greatest advantage is being able to navigate without Internet, except for satellite images. It also provides route descriptions, traffic data and all types of transport, such as subways, trains, buses, as well as detailed city maps.