When you are out and about, Google Maps can be really useful. From finding which bus or train to take to get to your destination, or locating the nearest gas station, Google Maps is a lifeline for travelers.
One TikTok users has found a particular Google Maps function that makes the app even more essential, and lets users get a whole heap of information at a glance.
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TikTokker rachaeldoestiktok has discovered a particular ‘Hack’ for the popular app, which can provide a host of information on what facilities are nearby with just a glance.
Usually, if you save a particular location such as a restaurant on Google Maps, it appears as a bunch of stars showing you its user rating. However, if you save the location as part of the list, then it becomes possible to add an emoji to use as an icon.
To use the example shown in the video, if you use finds a seafood restaurant and saves it in a list called ‘Seafood’ and uses a fish emoji as the icon, then that restaurant will appear on the Google Map view as a Fish. As will any other restaurants added to the same ‘Seafood’ list.
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Though this method obviously requires quite a bit of setting up and adding locations to a list, for someone who travels extensively, it could be extremely useful. Though rachaeldoestiktok warns that it can be ‘addictive’ to do.
For example, if you travel to London on a semi-regular basis and find yourself thinking “What was that great Indian restaurant I went to last time?” you can just look at your Google Maps and find the restaurants marked with a chilli pepper to locate the correct restaurant.
Some commenters on Reddit were enthusiastic about the function, with one saying: “If you live in a vibrant city like London that has thousands of points of interest like OOP, and you go out often, then this tip is most useful to keep track of and organize all of your favorite places. There could be hundreds of places to bookmark and return to later, and having specific emojis is so much nicer than looking at a map that has a bunch of ambiguous stars.”
Another said: “I loved this, changed my lists on Google maps after watching this clip. I believe it's really fantastic if you don't have tons of points of interest. The only sad part is that the desktop version doesn't display the icons.”