- Google Maps isn’t great at offering turn-by-turn directions
- But a TikTok user has discovered a simple way of seeing upcoming turns
- I’ll be using this feature from now on
Modern technology is designed to be as simple as possible, meaning much of it no longer comes with detailed instructions. It is up to the user to discover all of the features and how to use them.
I’ve been navigating with Google Maps via Apple CarPlay for years and hadn’t realized that there's a feature to quickly and easily see upcoming directions.
A TikTok user recently discovered that if you swipe left on the green direction box in the top right or left of the screen (depending on the positioning of your steering wheel), Google Maps will reveal all of the upcoming steps on your journey and jump ahead to each point on the map.
Users can then click on the re-center button to have the map jump back to the current location. The video below shows it in action.
This might sound ridiculously simple and I feel a little stupid for not knowing this was possible, but I would also bet good money that there are a number of fellow users out there having the same realization.
For those journeys with lots of complex instructions, this feature could come in handy, as it allows the driver to plan one or two steps ahead, so they can preempt the correct lane on a highway or navigate complex roundabouts and other traffic systems with ease.
Google Maps currently does a pretty good job of previewing the next navigational instruction, but often it is worth knowing the next few steps, which is difficult unless you like to have your music, radio or podcast interrupted by spoken prompts every few seconds.
Simple but effective
You learn something new everyday and after trying the little hack in my own vehicle, I found it great for previewing upcoming turns without having to pinch and zoom across the map, which is hugely distracting.
A couple of swipes in the green upcoming turn box saw the route jump on to the next few phases, which I found great for working out the upcoming exits on longer motorway journeys.
Remembering exit 12 and exit 24, for example, reduces the need to constantly look at the infotainment screen – I could keep an eye on the road and look at signs. Remember those?
Am I missing any other key Google Maps functionality? If so, you can make me feel stupid and old in the comments section below.
