Andy Walker / Android Authority
I recently rediscovered a Google Maps feature that I completely forgot existed, but you can’t really blame me. If you frequent travel subreddits and forums, you’ll likely be familiar with My Maps, Google’s custom map creation platform. However, if you’ve only ever experienced Google Maps on an Android phone, I’d be surprised if you’ve heard of it, unless you’ve accidentally scrolled to the bottom of the You tab.
My Maps is an obscure but powerful tool for creating personalized maps. Users can command various mapping features, including pinning custom markers on places, adding notes and images, routing info to and from multiple points, KML and GPX info, and layering all this data onto existing map visualizations. In short, My Maps allows users to bend Google’s mapping products to their will in impressive ways. Sounds great, right? Well, after spending a few days browsing the various and adventurous custom maps users have created and a few more tests of the limits of the tool myself, I realized one important thing: My Maps is brilliant, but the company is letting this feature wither and decay.
Do you use Google My Maps? 13 votes Yes, I use it often! 31 % Yes, I've used it a few times. 23 % Yes, but ages ago. I didn't know that it still exists. 8 % No, but I would if it more accessible on mobile. 8 % No, I have no need for it. 23 % No, I prefer using an alternative (let us know which in the comments). 8 %
The exciting potential of My Maps as a public and personal travel tool
Andy Walker / Android Authority
My Maps is a potent tool that has the potential to change how you use Google Maps. While Maps already has a social aspect that hinges on public discovery and crowdsourced information, discovering new places to visit can be tricky. As My Maps allows experienced community members to create custom maps of their regions and travels, easily accessing these through Google Maps would theoretically make it one of the best travel research and planning tools around.
My Maps is a potent tool that has the potential to change how you use Google Maps.
Here’s an example. If I were traveling to Paris and wanted a list of cultural touchstones to visit, I could load a custom map detailing museums, churches, and monuments. Cinephiles could pin filming locations for various New York-based flicks, aspiring trekkers could track out the Pacific Crest Trail’s entire span, or geography teachers could plot out a list of capitals of all 50 states. I’ve seen some users plot locations of KFCs in their city, detail where victims of serial killers were found, plot the path of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and pin the locations of famous location-based world records. The possibilities are quite literally limited by your imagination.
Andy Walker / Android Authority
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