As one of the core iPhone applications that I use the most, Maps is probably one of the most useful of the pre-installed apps, and probably the one App that I see get used in the least efficient way. Directions to Krispy Kreme from your Weight Watchers meeting isn’t the only thing that Maps can do, it’s capable of so much more. Even if you’re dead set on using it for just directions, you’re still probably doing it the hard way. There are lots of little tips that I’ve gotten used to using that I’m always surprised people don’t know about Maps, so I thought I’d create a little laundry list of Maps tips for you to help you to get the most bang for your tap out of it….
-Double tap to zoom In: The quickest way to zoom in in maps is to Double Tap the map, it will zoom in on the point at which you tap, this is miles more accurate than the pinch-gesture zoom and much faster. This also goes along with the next tip…
-Tap with Two Fingers to Zoom Out: Like the zoom in, tapping with two fingers is much less labor intensive than the reverse pinch, and it makes you feel much less like a fat gymnast trying to do the splits all over your iPhone screen.
-Drop a pin to Check an Address: If you want to get an address or approximate address of a location that’s not a business or point of interest, like the nearest Taco Bell or liposuction clinic, just drop a pin at that location by hitting the little page curl button in the bottom right and dragging the pin to the location and dropping it. Then tap the pin to get the location. Very useful for finding home addresses of friends or which “hundred” block you’re on in a living hell track home neighborhood.
-Tap on your Blue Locator Dot to Get Your Current Address: If you think you’re at the right spot and you have an address to work from but neglected to pop it in your iPhone, tap your locator dot, the blue one you get after hitting the Locator button in the bottom left. You will get the current address you sit at. This can be good for bookmarking locations that aren’t “on the map”. Like in the girls bathroom, where you “hid it in that place where you hid that thing that time”.
-Tap Your Locator Button Again to Activate Compass (3GS Only): Only the 3GS iPhone has a built in compass, which you can activate in Maps by tapping the Locator button once, then tapping it again to point you in the direction that you’re facing. Awesome for walking directions. If your compass doesn’t come on, or seems to be wrong, hold your iPhone out in front of you and draw a horizontal figure eight. You heard me right, a figure eight. This calibrates the compass while simultaneously making you look like an ass in the middle of a city street, which wasn’t that hard to be honest, I mean look at you.
-If You’re Looking for a Phone Number, Don’t Google it, Map it!: I don’t know why people try all sorts of other methods to try to get a stinking phone number for a theater or restaurant before they just map it, tap on the small arrow next to the result and get all of the pertinent information right there at their finger tips. Bonus: You usually get the website as well. No, that theater name doesn’t mean what you think it means, that’s gross!
-Create Bookmarks of Your Home/Hotel/Favorite Locations: Probably the best tip of the list for those who use their Maps app for navigation a lot, bookmark your House, Work and any other location you frequently travel to so that you can pull them up from the bookmark button instead of having to manually search or count on the app remembering and prompting you. I also do this when I’m going to go on vacation in another city, I program in my hotel location and the location of any restaurants, sights etc. that I want to see. This way I can always find my way around with just a couple of taps.
-Tap the Snakey Arrow Line Button to Swap Locations: This one is hidden in plain sight, but if you’re the kind of person who needs instructions back home from a place you were just guided to by your iPhone, you probably didn’t notice this either. The snakelike button to the left of the start and end fields in directions swaps the beginning and end of the directions, letting you retrace your steps back out of North Hollywood.
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