Navigating Cities Easier with GPS Data from Photos
Tech enthusiast and writer Irene Okpanachi has developed a clever workaround to navigate cities more efficiently using Google Maps. Frustrated by inconsistent addressing in her region, she turned to Plus Codes and, more innovatively, to the GPS data embedded in photos. Her solution involves an automation system that extracts GPS coordinates from images, enabling turn-by-turn navigation to a photo's location.
Okpanachi used Tasker, an Android automation app, to create this system. Tasker allows users to set triggers and actions, making it ideal for her needs. She found a basic profile on TaskerNet that checked for GPS metadata in images and expanded it to pull coordinates and send them directly to Google Maps. The process required converting the GPS data from degrees, minutes, and seconds into a format Google Maps could use, which Tasker handled seamlessly.
The automation now works by sharing a photo to Tasker, which reads the GPS data and sends it to Google Maps for navigation. Okpanachi emphasizes the importance of ensuring location tagging is enabled in the camera settings and that gallery apps do not strip metadata when sharing photos. While the system currently works best with directly shared photos, it could be particularly useful for revisiting favorite locations or finding forgotten spots in new cities.
Okpanachi's solution is a testament to the power of automation and the hidden potential of GPS data in everyday photos. It's a handy tool for anyone looking to simplify navigation in areas where addressing is unreliable.