Today’s post is about the personalization of Google Maps. With Google MyMaps, everyone can design their own personal Google Maps and save them for later use. It is important to first log in to one’s Google account. After that, you should go to Google Maps normally and follow the "My Places" link there.
In MyMaps there are basically three areas that can be interesting for everyone: Maps, Marked places and Ratings. I will now briefly introduce the three areas.
Create your own maps in Google Maps
The first area are "My maps" . Whether planned vacation spots, business trip destinations or most popular outlets – you can create your own map for everything. On the map you can mark locations, draw lines freeform or along the streets. You can then customize the objects as you wish: with special markers, links or videos.
Here’s an example: an online map of the city of Mannheim, where I marked the most important geographical points and routes of my daily student life:
The public status of one’s own online map is optional. You can either share it only with friends or make it publicly available. In addition, the online map can be edited together with several users. Makes sense, for example, if you plan a city trip with several friends and collect tips for the locations.
After saving, the map with all stored info is accessible online at any time and can also be downloaded as a KML file for use in Google Earth. Google Earth offers even more possibilities for editing your own map.
Marked locations in Google Maps
Any place with a water droplet can be marked in MyMaps. It is only necessary to click on a yellow asterisk next to the location. Then one always has a DeepL access to this place in the own Google Maps.
The feature can be very handy especially on the go. The marked locations can of course also be accessed via cell phone (provided you have synchronized your smartphone with your Google account). With a few clicks you can then calculate the route from your current location to the marked place and let yourself be navigated.
Rate places on Google
If you had already rated places in Google Places, they appear in MyMaps in the tab "Evaluates". The personal comment can be viewed and edited here. If you had never rated something before, you can do it at any time: just select the place concerned, right click and click "Write experience report.
Under the tab "All" all maps, rated or marked places are listed.
The usual Google Maps features are of course available in MyMaps: satellite and map view, traffic, photos, etc…
Map Maker – the next generation
The next generation of MyMaps should be Map Maker. Here you wouldn’t just make personal maps, but help Google enhance existing maps with your own local knowledge. So the whole thing would work according to a Wikipedia principle. The tool is already available in the USA and a few other countries. When the MapsMaker will be active for Germany is still unknown.