8 Google Maps Settings to Change When You Get a New Phone
Google Maps is one of the most important apps on any phone, but the default settings aren’t always the best. Every time I buy a new phone, I change a couple of settings to my liking to optimize my navigation experience to be much smoother, faster and personalized. If Google Maps is a big part of your life, you may also want to tweak these settings.
1.Enable Offline Maps
There’s nothing worse than losing signal way out in the middle of nowhere. This is why I download offline maps of the areas I frequently visit. To do this:
2.Open Google Maps.
Click on your profile icon > Offline Maps > Select Your Own Map and download your city or region.
Now even when you do not have internet access, I can access directions and basic navigation.
3.Set Navigation Voice To My Style
The voice should be clear, easy to understand while you drive. You can change the navigation voice on Google Maps:
- Head to Settings > Navigation Settings > Voice Selection to pick the best one for you.
- Others like to switch up languages if they’re bilingual!
4.Turn on Low Speed Limits and Speedometer
Just to avoid getting speeding tickets, I enable the speed limit and speedometer feature:
- Then navigate to Settings > Navigation Settings > Enable Speed Limits and Speedometer toggle.
- Now, while driving I can easily see the current speed and speed limit in roads.
- (location history turned on would help your recommendations)
Google tracks your whereabouts to sharpen recommendations, but others find this creepy. Here’s how to manage it:
- Menu > Settings > Personal Content > Location History and flip it on or off.
- If you enjoy personalized recommendations for restaurants and commuting routes, leave it on. Otherwise, switch it off for added privacy.
5.Add Home and Work Addresses for Easy Directions
To ease commuting, I save my home and work addresses:
- Go to Saved > Labelled > Home and Work addresses
- Now I have one-tap access to directions and traffic updates for my daily routes.
6.Use Dark Mode When Driving At Night
Bright screens can cause eye strain at night. I prevent Google Maps from switching to light theme automatically:
- Settings > Theme > Dark Mode or Same as Device Setting
- This improves nighttime navigation and minimizes eye strain.
7.Set Public Transit Preferences
When taking public transport, I want routes that match my needs. Google Maps allows you to select your mode of transportation:
- Choose Fewer Transfers or Less Walking as necessary by tapping on Settings > Navigation Settings > Public Transport Preferences.
- And this helps me get the routes that best suit my commuting style.
8.Zach Scott Disable Auto Route Recalculation
Google Maps sometimes switches my route in the middle of driving if it thinks a road is going to be a little faster; I’ve always found this frustrating. I disable automatic rerouting by choosing:
- Settings > Navigation Settings > Route Options > Automatically Reroute.
- Now I’m alerted to faster routes, but I get to decide whether I want to switch it up or stay on my planned path.
Final Thoughts
These simple tweaks allow me to maximize my Google Maps experience and keep my data, preferences and driving experience optimized. If you’ve recently got a new phone, spend a few minutes customizing Google Maps to your preferences you’ll thank me later!
Do you have a favorite Google Maps setting or hack? Let me know in the comments!