GOOGLE MAPS: Using A Hidden Feature To Find Things On Your Route

So there you are following the route you slapped into your Google Maps app.. suddenly, you're hankering for a Starbucks. But being out in unfamiliar territory, you have no clue where one might be. There are a few things you can do. If you have your Starbucks app, it has a store locator option in it. But another option you have includes Google Maps.

Yep, Google Maps.

Now obviously you can open Maps and search for Starbucks. That's easy enough. But if you're on a trip that you've plotted out using Maps, it has a feature that will allow you to search for things along your mapped out route.

So there you are following your directions, and if you want to find something along your route, like Starbucks or even Gas, take a look at Maps and you'll see in the lower right corner of the screen a little up-arrow character. If you press this symbol a bunch of options come up. Among those options are...

"Share Trip Progress 'NEW'"
"Search Along Route"
"Directions"
"Show traffic on map" button
"Show satellite map" button
"Settings"

When you press "Search Along Route" there are five options.

One option is that you can type in your search, or press one of the pre-fabricated searches such as

"Gas Stations"
"Restaurants"
"Grocery Stores"
"Coffee Shops"

Now I've been typing in 'Starbucks' and what not to see what is along my route, and boom, it shows you each location of what you're looking for and how much time off your route it will take. You even get to see the ratings of your search result locations.

A real great option of this feature is when you look for Gas Stations.

The other day I was needing gas on a trip home and one station was coming up. But I decided to test this Gas Station feature of Maps. What it did was show me what gas stations were on my route, AND the GAS PRICES.

What this function did was save me over FIFTY CENTS A GALLON on gas and all I had to do was drive an extra few miles past the next gas station to a much more economical option! Thank you Maps!

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