Google Maps: How to Search for Places on Your Route

Google Maps is the go-to app for most of us when we're looking for directions, and the app can also be useful for things such as calling a cab. That's not the only thing you can do with the app though - for example, you could type in "restaurants" to see a view of all the restaurants in the area of the map you're looking at. That's a pretty basic tip though, but Google Maps has another feature that can be a lot more useful - finding things that are on your route. The feature has been around for a long time, but we came across a lot of people who didn't know about it or how to use it. If that includes you, here's a quick and easy guide to getting it to work.

The good news is that this works in the same way whether you're searching on your Android or iOS device, or looking at the map on the Web on your PC. This is what you have to do.

1. Step one is to launch Google Maps app, or point your browser to http://maps.google.com
2. Search for your destination.
3. Tap or click on the directions button to generate the route.
4. On your phone, tap the three-dots menu button and then tap on Add stop. On a computer, click on the plus (+) sign on the left, under the locations.
5. Tap or click and drag the added stop up to the middle of the route.
6. Now, search for whatever you need to add. For example, type in "petrol pump" and then search if you need to top up your car.
7. You'll be shown suggestions of different places that match your search, and you can add any of these to your route. The listing even shows if a stop is a quick detour or not.
8. Click on the additional destination on the PC. On your mobile, tap on it to see a description, and tap the white Location icon to add that to the route.

That's it, you're done. You'll be given an alternative route which includes a small detour to find nearby places that can be used to spot a restaurant on your way home, look for an ATM while you're on your way to the mall, or find a florist on your way to a friend's house.

Tell us if you've used this feature before or if you're planning to now, via the comments, and don't miss out the rest of our useful How To section either.