Google Maps is a great navigation tool, it can be used for planning trips and journeys and also finding out interesting places to visit, and more. This guide is designed to show you how to find your direction of travel and how to use the compass in Google Maps.
The Google Maps app is available on a wide range of mobile devices, and the way that the software works is very similar on devices running Google’s Android platform and Apple’s iOS platform, depending on which type of device you are using, you may need to download the app.
The first thing you need to do is download the Google Maps app to your smartphone, this can be found on the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store, once you have downloaded and installed the app you will need to enable location services for the app on your device.
This will allow you to use all of the features of Google Maps on your Android Phone or iPhone, you will need to make sure that you have enabled this setting in order to use the direction or compass feature on Google Maps.
Open the Google Maps app on your Android Phone or iPhone and you will see a compass symbol on the bottom right of the application, click on this and the compass will start to work and the compass will point North. You can move your phone around and the map will move about, but the compass will continue to point North.
The blue dot in the middle of the screen shows you your current location, you can then see your direction of travel on Google Maps when you are moving by looking at the compass which will always point North.
You can now use Google Maps to get directions for your journey, this is particularly useful if you are walking around a city and want to use Google Maps for various landmarks along with the compass feature. You can also use Google Maps to plan journeys via train, car, bus, and more.
If you want to get directions to a specific place, use the search bar at the top of the screen and type in your destination’s address, name, or keyword. You will then be shown a list of places that match what you have typed in, you can then choose the destination you want.
Once you have selected the destination in Google Maps, select the Directions button at the bottom of the screen and you will then be given details on the route or journey you have planned. Google Maps will calculate the best route based on your current location and chosen destination and also your chosen method of transport.
Normally Google Maps provides driving directions by default, this can be changed to walking, cycling, train, bus, and more, when you choose one of these options you will automatically be given the best route for your journey.
Once you are ready to proceed on your journey select Start Navigation and your journey will begin, you can then click on the compass icon during the journey and you will see your direction of travel in Google Maps.
We hope that you find this guide useful on how to find your direction of travel in Google Maps useful, if you have any questions, comments, or any suggestions, please let us know in the comments section below. You can find out more details about how to use Google Maps over at Google.
Image Credit: henry perks
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