Try these 5 clever Google Maps tricks to see more of what’s on the map

I rarely use Google Maps to get directions, but I open the app practically every day for other reasons that may not be obvious at first glance: it can use Google Maps tricks to do much more than show you how to get from Point A to Point B .

Underneath all those color-coded traffic patterns and high-resolution satellite imagery, hides a powerful search tool that delivers real-time data from restaurants, retail stores, professional offices, public parks, and virtually anywhere else you want. go.

Compared to some of the relatively newer Google Maps updates, which include vastly improved traffic navigation, language translation with AI technologyand Incognito mode to avoid leaving a paper trail, the step by step instructions are so the last decade. If you’re already familiar with this app as a navigation tool, next level powers like these are just a tap, press or slide once you know the following Google Maps tricks.

To unlock the hidden power of the Google Maps app on your phone or tablet, take a look at five ways I use Google Maps almost every day that has nothing to do with getting directions.

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See how long the line lasts everywhere from Walmart to DMV

Before I walk out the door, whether I’m headed to Walmart, the grocery store, the doctor’s office, or to renew my driver’s license, I almost always check Google Maps to see exactly how busy I can expect my destination to be. Here’s how you can search for that information too.

In the Google Maps app, tap on the business or location you want to visit and scroll down until you see a labeled graph Popular times. Tap the day of the week if you are planning a trip for later that week.

Touch the red column to see the current pedestrian traffic data, or one of the blue columns to get a summary of how busy you can expect to be at another time: Not busy, Not too busy, A bit busy or As busy as it gets.

Then under the heading Plan your visit, You will find general information such as maximum waiting times (“up to 5 minutes from 6 am to 12 am”) and the average length of the visit (“People usually spend 20 minutes here”). Now you know if you will be in and out in an instant or if you need to pack a good book or just plan your visit for another day when waiting times are not so long.

Take a look at menus, photos and customer reviews

In addition to its navigation tools, Google Maps is also a large collective review application, just like Yelp or TripAdvisor, so you can get a good idea of ​​what kind of options your destination offers, as well as the price, presentation and if I will need a loan to pay it.

This feature is just as useful for restaurant pickup and delivery as it is for previewing menu options and prices, not to mention getting a good look at the dishes. You could make or break your decision to try a new place. For those who trust the wisdom of the crowds, it also displays the restaurant’s five-star average, as well as individual reviews to influence their decision.

In most restaurant listings you will see a navigation bar at the top with Overview, Menu, Comments and Photos listed as options (you may have to scroll to see them all). Tap any one of those or just scroll down. The link labeled Menu often appears under the hours of operation, but keep scrolling until you see the header Popular dishes to see food photos. Still going Popular times all the way to the restaurant’s five-star average and user reviews.

Reserve a table or order to take away or deliver

Once you take a look at all your restaurant options, most of the time you don’t even have to leave the Google Maps app to make a reservation. If you prefer to eat at home, you can usually also request delivery or delivery from the app.

If the restaurant you have chosen uses a reservation service such as Open table, you will see a tab below Menu option that says either Find a table or Book a table. You don’t actually have to log into the booking service to make the reservation (although if you accumulate bonus points or use the service in another way, you may want to do it anyway).

To go or deliver, look for a labeled option Make an order. A popup will give you a list of available services, such as DoorDash or Postmates, but you will have to log in to complete your order, so if you have an account with any of them, you probably want to choose that one.

Hello Google Assistant, how did you get to my iPhone?

I spend most of my digital life in the famous walled garden of the Apple ecosystem, with one obvious exception: I use a Google Home ($ 99 at Crutchfield) with Google Assistant to control my smart home.

Google Assistant is not included in iOS in the way Apple’s least capable voice assistant Siri It does, but a setting in Google Maps allows you to push Siri aside so you can have permanent access to the Google Assistant while browsing.

To configure the Google Maps application on your iPhone to listen to “OK, Google” while browsing, open the Google Maps application and tap the button. menu icon (the three horizontal lines stacked to the left of the search bar), then tap Configurations. At the top of the page, below the heading Move, tap Navigation, then scroll to the option labeled Access your Assistant with “OK Google” and turn on the lever.

Admittedly, this solution is a bit unstable: You must configure Google Maps to navigate to a specific destination for the voice command “OK, Google” to work, and you cannot call Siri with “Hey, Siri” while this feature is on . But until Android can get away from my iPhone, it’s better than nothing.

Find business hours, phone numbers, zip codes, and more

Every time I need to know when a store or business opens or closes, or if I need to call the place and I don’t have the number, or on the rare occasions when I need the postal code of a business for which the street name appears and the number is all I know about in my head (for example for a job application), I go directly to Google Maps to get these answers and more.

Here’s where you can quickly and easily find basic information about the locations listed on Google Maps:

Operating hours: Business hours of operation are shown immediately below the address. You can touch the Arrow down in addition to today’s closing hours to see the hours of other days of the week. Most listings are updated with any special holiday hours, which are highlighted in a red font.

Telephone numbers: Below the hours of operation on most listings, you will find the phone number. To call without leaving Google Maps, touch the number, then touch the pop-up window that displays the message to Call followed by the number.

Website: If the company has a website, it will appear below the phone number. Tap to open the website in a tab with Google Chrome within the Google Maps app.

Postal Code: This is less common, but when I’ve needed it, Google Maps has saved me tons of time. Enter the street name and number or company name and touch search. At the top of the list next to the address, you will see the ZIP code.

Of course, Google Maps is also packed with features that help with what the app is obviously designed to do: show you how to get where you’re going. Start with these six Google Maps tricks you probably don’t know yet. If you’re going to use Google Maps to navigate a great road trip, These tips will help you make your trip as easy as possible. If any accidents, speed traps or other slowdowns occur while you are away from home, you can now report up to seven different types of road incidents directly from the Google Maps application.