Google Maps Hides Surprising Features

A computer engineer turned tech-savvy writer stumbled upon several hidden features of Google Maps while waiting to pick up her kid after school. She uses Google Maps almost every time she drives, but discovered that she was only using about 10% of its capabilities.

One feature is the ability to save parking locations, which can be done by tapping on the blue dot showing your location and then selecting 'Save parking.' This creates a parking marker at the exact location where you left your car. The writer notes that she's more than happy to let Google Maps handle this task.

The writer also discovered the ability to measure distances using long-press functionality, which can be useful for calculating how far different locations are from each other. This feature can be accessed by long-pressing on an unlabeled spot on the map and selecting 'Measure distance.'

In addition to these features, the writer also uses Google Maps lists to keep track of places she wants to visit or try. She can create custom lists and save locations directly to them using her Android phone.