Locate yourself: A guide to finding your current location on Google Maps

For most, Google Maps is the de-facto navigation tool, so much so that many of us would be utterly lost without it. It’s an essential app and it has achieved that exalted status thanks to powerful features, reliable navigation, and a simple and intuitive UI. But its use is not just limited to navigation or finding directions. You can also use it to find your current location.

1. On your smartphone

1. Open Google Maps

2. By default, Google Maps will be centred on your location. The degree of precision varies, but the blue dot in the centre of your screen is your location. A cone of vision attached to the dot indicates the direction the smartphone is facing

3. If you accidentally scrolled away from your location, you can tap the arrow that looks like a compass needle to get your location centred on the screen again

4. As a quick rule of thumb, if the arrow is blue, Google Maps is focused on your current location. If the arrow is white, Google Maps is focused elsewhere

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5. If you’ve scrolled away from your location and tapped on the screen, the arrow will disappear and it’s not easy to tell where you are.

6. In such a situation, tap anywhere on the Google Maps screen except at the centre or any of the buttons. You could also press the back button on Android phones. This will again show the arrow, and you can tap on it to re-centre Google Maps on your location

7. If you’re using Google Maps navigation, say when you’re driving, and accidentally lose your location, tap on the prominent ‘Re-centre’ icon to centre the map back on your precise location for turn-by-turn navigation

2. On your desktop

1. Head to maps.google.com to open Google Maps

2. Google Maps will ask for permission to access your location information. Click ‘Allow’ to allow this. If you decline, Google Maps will not be able to locate you on the map

3. To centre the map on your current location, tap the compass icon at the bottom right.

4. When clicked, and assuming Google Maps has the relevant permissions, your location will be marked with a blue dot.

5. Please note that this location info can be inaccurate as most laptops don’t have built-in GPS. The location is usually correlated using Wi-Fi or cellular networking information, which is much less precise than when using a GPS signal. Additionally, using a VPN can place you in the wrong location entirely.

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Google Maps is a powerful and intuitive navigation aid that we simply can’t live without. These tips should help you make better use of the app itself, and ensure that you don’t get lost within the UI while trying to navigate to your destination.