Google Maps is a very handy navigation tool that is available on almost every device. Whether you are at home looking for a new restaurant to try, or out and about trying to find one, Google Maps is a great way to find out where you are going. However, there are some really useful features that make it even more useful. One of these is the pin dropping feature, which allows you to easily mark locations on the map. Check out our step by step guide below to find out how to drop a pin in Google Maps.
How to drop a pin in Google Maps on a desktop
- Go to the Google Maps home page
- Find the area you are looking for
- Left click where you want to go
- Click the box at the bottom of the screen for more options
As you can see, it just takes one click to drop a pin in Google Maps. However, once you do that you will notice that a box appears at the bottom of the screen. Clicking this box will allow you to access some more options, and this is where you can save the pin or even send it to your phone. This involves linking it to your Google account or sending it via SMS.
Sharing a pin in Google Maps
There are also a few ways that you can share the pin with your friends. First, you can copy and paste the short link that Google generates at the top of the page. Alternatively, you can use the Twitter and Facebook icons to share it. Finally, you can even embed the map into a webpage using the HTML code generated by Google. If you want to delete the pin, simply click elsewhere on the map and it will disappear.
How to drop a pin in Google Maps on your phone
This works the same way on both Android and iOS, so feel free to follow along with any mobile device.
- Open Google Maps
- Find where you want to drop the pin
- Long-press where you want the pin to drop
- Swipe or tap the info box at the bottom of the screen to find out more
By tapping on the box you will gain access to a similar set of options as you would on the desktop. You can save pins for later, as well as label and share them. Sharing in this case will open up the standard sharing options for your chosen device. Deleting a pin on a mobile device is also very easy. Just tap the cross at the top right corner next to the bar that says “Dropped Pin”.
Measuring distances in Google Maps
Another useful thing you can do on both desktop and mobile devices is measuring the distance from one place to another. Although not quite as intuitive as dropping two different pins, you simply have to click the measure distance option. On mobile devices you just click on the box at the bottom of the screen after dropping a pin. Once you do this you just have to move the map around to measure the distance or tap new points to add. On desktop you just need to right click anywhere on the screen and select measure distance. Then, with each new click you will add a new point on the map. The total distance will be displayed at the bottom of the screen on both types of device.
Via Phandroid