New phone essentials

What it's for

Google Maps is for finding places and navigating by car, on foot, by bicycle, or using public transport. A new phone owner gets access to route planning, local photos and reviews, and tools for organizing places to visit, subject to feature availability.

Get the app

After it installs: three settings

1. 01Navigation preferences and guidance

   Review any available navigation preferences before relying on guidance. The listing describes voice and on-screen directions, but does not document the available controls or their locations.

   Look in the app's Settings for navigation
2. 02Offline map planning options

   Look for offline map options when preparing for poor signal. Google Play lists offline maps, but the supplied text does not explain their controls or limits.

   Look in the app's Settings for offline maps
3. 03Saved place list options

   Look for options related to saved places when organizing destinations. Custom lists and sharing are listed features, although the description does not supply their settings locations.

   Look in the app's Settings for saved places

Path as given in the developer's help pages; menu names can differ slightly between versions and phones.

Common problem

Can't find a place? Start by checking the spelling and adding a town or nearby landmark to the search. Google Play describes local search, but the release notes do not identify search-specific fixes. If results remain unclear, use the available place information rather than assuming the current build resolves the issue.