Like most of the people we know, we're also completely reliant on Google Maps to get around. Of course, like most services, Google's navigation isn't without its quirks - which can become a real problem, sometimes. That said, it's still a very useful tool, and recently, Google announced a new feature that makes it even better - the ability to create shareable lists of places. This feature lets you mark out places that family and friends should know about.
For example, if a friend is visiting Delhi and wants to know where to find the best Old Delhi paranthas, and the tastiest butter chicken, and the perfect chana bathura, then you could write them a long mail explaining where everything is - or just mark out your picks on the map, and then share the list.
Why should I use Google Maps lists?
You could always save locations on your map by 'starring' them but there was no easy organisation of this information. With lists, Google Maps makes your saved locations more useful and easier to sort. For example, looking at our starred list showed 183 places around the world - handy if you want to see every place you've ever thought important enough to save, but otherwise, not very useful.
With the new Google Maps lists feature, you can use certain predefined lists - Starred Places, Favourites, and Want to Go. Apart from this, there's the New list button, which you can tap to create a new list. This allows a lot more organisation - particularly as places can be in more than one list at a time.
For example, you might add a newly opened restaurant that you've read a lot of good reviews about to your Want to go list, but also to your custom made Fine dining list. You might add Lodhi Gardens to your Favourites list, and also to a list you made called Monuments of Delhi.
How do I make Google Maps lists?
Using a Google Maps list is very simple. It doesn't work on the desktop, so you have to use your Android or Apple mobile device. Since Google has standardised design across platforms, using lists works the same whether you're using an entry-level Android, or the latest iPhone.
This is what you need to do to create a Google Maps list:
That's it, you're done. Now, you can repeat these steps as often as you'd like, to add new locations, or add the same location to multiple lists.
How to share Google Maps lists
Sharing, editing, and deleting lists is equally simple. This is how it works.
How to share Google Maps lists:
With the custom Google Maps lists, you also have the option to delete the list, by tapping on Delete list in step 6. With all the lists, you can also tap on Edit list to add or remove places from the list. You also have the option of tapping Hide on your map - this way, you can create a list for a friend, without having it show up on your map all the time.
As of now, that's all you can do with Google Maps lists. It's actually a pretty interesting and useful feature, and it's going to be worth watching to see how other people are making use of this. However, there's one small quibble we have with the feature right now - you can't set custom colours for custom lists. This means that a location that's Starred or Favourited, or in the Want to go list stands out visually on the map, with a gold star, red heart, or green bookmark respectively, but all your custom lists are just a boring blue square. This means that if you have multiple lists, you can't just glance at the map and figure out what is near you.
What do you think about Google Maps' new lists feature, and how are you planning on using it? Tell us - and other readers - via the comments below.
For more tutorials, visit our How To section.
For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.