How to Find Your Exact Location on GPS?

Ever imagined how essential maps and locations are in our life? Just consider finding a restaurant or looking at a particular store. You open up your phone or tablet, and voila! A street map shows you routes and points of interest along those routes. Are you on holiday in a tourist destination? A map will show you locations, routes, roads, points of interest, and crucial buildings such as restaurants and medical shops. However, these are more challenging to access if you know how to get to your current location. Moreover, in case of an emergency or a critical situation, you may need to send or know your current location on the planet; digital maps like Google Maps, Apple Maps, Naver Maps, Waze, Bing Maps, etc., can help you with that.

You need a device like a mobile phone, tablet, or laptop with GPS and a pre-downloaded map of the region or Internet if you want to download a location map and traffic information at that exact moment. However, if you are going on a trip or to a remote location, it is recommended to have the map of the region downloaded before the trip.

Since Google Maps are available worldwide, we will discuss and learn how to show your exact location. Here are the steps −

In a Mobile Phone or Tablet:

Check these step by step guide through mobile device or Tablet.

Step 1: Open Google Maps on a supported device

There is a symbol in the top-left corner, and you may locate it on one of the iPhone/iPad home screens or inside the app drawer (Android). These days Google Maps comes pre-installed on Android phones, but you have to download them from the App Store on iPhones. Once you open the app, if you have not already, enable Location Services or GPS by following the instructions shown on the screen. The primary map shows street names. Click the two overlapping diamonds at the top-right corner to change between satellite and terrain maps, then select Satellite or Terrain.

Step 2: The blue dot indicates where you are

The little blue circle shows your exact location in real-time. To display the blue dot if it isn't already there, click the compass icon on the right side of the screen. It appears as an upward-pointing triangle on iPhone/iPad but not Android. It seems like a spherical target with four projecting lines. To get a better view −

• Double-tap the blue dot. You may also scale in and out using the pinching gesture.

• If necessary, drag your finger around the map to move it.

• To get back to your current location, tap the bottom-right compass.

Step 3: To drop a pin, press and hold the blue dot

When the red pin shows above the blue dot, release your finger. A window containing location data will display.

Step 4: To view the "Dropped Pin" box, swipe up

Depending on the size of your device's screen, you can find it at the edge or bottom of the map. By doing so, the map is enlarged and your current location is shown.

In a Computer or Laptop

Check these step by step guide through computer device or Laptops.

Step 1: In a web browser, navigate to https://maps.google.com

Any current web browser, including Firefox, Chrome, and Edge, may be used to locate your position in Google Maps.

Step 2: Tap the white and blue bullseye icons

On the map screen, it's close to the bottom right corner. The mapping view will then be re-centered to show your present position, which a blue dot will offer. You'll notice a message advising you to activate Location Services immediately if you still need to do so.

To enable location services, follow the given steps −

Windows OS: Start > Settings > Privacy > Location. Then turn on the location switch.

Mac OS: Apple menu > System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy > Location Services. Check the box next to 'Enable Location Services' and 'Safari.'

Step 3: On the map, right-click on the blue dot

A Contextual menu with options like Directions from, Directions to, What's here, Search nearby, Add a missing place, Report a data problem, etc. will appear.

Step 4: On the menu, choose "What's here?"

The address and latitude/longitude of your present location are shown in a box near the screen's bottom.

Step 5: Tap the address to learn more

It is located near the base of the map. By doing so, the left-hand panel on the page extends to reveal more choices for sharing and saving location data.

The narrower that transparent region will be and the more certain Google Maps will be about your position, the quicker your Internet. If Google Maps cannot locate you, you likely require a stronger phone signal or speedier Internet.

Double-tap the Current Location button to activate compass mode in iOS and Android applications. The map will spin to reflect the direction you are viewing in actual life as the app centers on your position.

To increase the accuracy of Your Location in Google Maps, follow these steps

If Maps doesn't reliably display your position, think about calibrating it so it can locate you precisely. On your smartphone, you can accomplish this using the Google Maps app.

Open the Google Maps app to get started. After that, click "Your Location" and then the blue circle showing where you are.

Tap "Calibrate" in the "Your Location" option that appears.

You'll be prompted to tilt and move the device by Maps. Continue doing this until the "Compass Accuracy" number rises above the current "Low" value. Tap "Done" to finish closing the tool. You're ready.

Use Google Maps installed on your smartphone and in your car when offline. When your car's internet connection is unreliable, you may utilize offline maps for trustworthy navigation and safety functions. Offline maps may be downloaded and updated automatically based on your present location and journey habits. Confirm that you are connected to an internet service to download and auto-update the latest maps before leaving on a trip or journey. Also, make sure to turn on 'Auto Download Offline Maps.'

Google Maps may be used without an internet connection and offline on mobile devices using the same Offline Maps feature. It dramatically improves Google Maps' usefulness, particularly when you are experiencing trouble having decent internet connectivity or when your cellular data is about to run out. You need to pre-download the maps into your device.