How to use the Google Maps Saved Lists feature

I’m going to make a confession here: Prior to Google Maps and Android, I had an irrational fear of getting lost. And I would get lost—frequently. Since the advent of smartphones and the mobile map app, those days are long since over. Now, I can navigate with the best of them. To that end, I use Google Maps a lot. It’s one of the many reasons why my Android phone is always with me.

But Google Maps isn’t just a tool to get directions. With this mobile app, you can enjoy a number of other, lesser-known features. One such inclusion is the Saved Lists feature. With Saved Lists you can create any type of list and add locations to it.

Say, for instance, you’re about to go on vacation to a new city and you want fast access to directions to everything you want to see. You could create a list for that city, and then saved locations to it.

I want to show you how to do just that—create a Saved List and then add locations.

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What you’ll need

The only thing you’ll need to make this work is an up-to-date version of the Google Maps app on your Android device (although this also works on iOS). 

How to create a Saved List in Google Maps

The first thing to be done is to create a new Saved List. To do this, open the Google Maps app and, from the main window, tap the Saved tab at the bottom (Figure A).

Figure A

In the resulting window, tap New List (Figure B). 

Figure B

You can now name your new list, give it a description, and configure the availability of the list (Figure C).

Figure C

Unless you plan on sharing the list or making it available for anyone to see, leave the List Type set to Private. This is especially true if you’re creating a list of locations near your home as that could easily become an issue of privacy.

After you’ve configured the list, tap Save and your list is ready.

How to add locations to a list in Google Maps

Now that you have your list created, you’ll want to add items to it. To do this, go back to the Google Maps Explore tab and do a search for a location. Once the location appears, swipe the bottom row of buttons to the left until you see Save (Figure D). 

Figure D

Tap Save and then, when prompted, tap the checkbox associated with the list you want to house the location (Figure E).

Figure E

And that’s all there is to it. Now, whenever you visit that city for business or pleasure, your list of locations to visit are saved within that list. Tap the Saved tab, tap on the list, and gain quick access to information about the locations (including directions) you’ve added (Figure F).

Figure F

There are plenty of customizations and options to be found with this feature. Play around with the tool to make it perfectly fit your traveling needs.

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