Tip: Using the iPhone's New Google Maps Features

By James Alan Miller on February 29, 2008 11:32 AM

Author: Philip L. Graitcer

The January 2008 iPhone software revision added new map features, that give your iPhone almost the same capability as Mapquest on the Web or the $800 GPS system in your car. Like most new features on the iPhone, how to use them is not well documented. Here are some tips to get you started mapping.

Current Location
In maps, you are now able to map your current location.

In maps, touch the "circle" icon on the lower left side of the screen. Your location will be circled.

The smaller the circle, the more accurate the location. iPhone uses triangulation from nearby cell phone towers to determine location. It's not a true satellite GPS system, but depending on how many towers are nearby, it can be fairly accurate.

Drop Pin
On the lower right side of the map screen is an "eye" icon. Touching that will reveal a screen with several options, one of which is "Drop Pin".

Touching "Drop Pin" will place a pin on the map in the center of the current location circle.

You can move the pin by touching it and dragging it to the desired location. This is a good option to mark where you parked your car.

Real Time Traffic
On the page revealed by the "eye" icon, there is an option to color code the map with real time traffic information on major highways.

Touch "Show Traffic" and green, yellow or red lines will be superimposed on the map indicating light, medium, or heavy traffic.

Touch "Hide Traffic" to remove the traffic information.

Map Options
iPhone can show a flat map, a satellite image or a hybrid picture of both satellite and map. You can also list driving directions.

Touch the "eye" icon and then touch "map", "satellite", "hybrid" or "list".

Getting Directions
iPhone can help give you driving or walking directions, much like you can get from Google Maps or Mapquest or from your automobile's GPS system

From the map page, select "Directions." A screen with the keyboard appears and by default gives you the choice to go from the Current Location to a location of your chosing.

If you want to do this, touch the "open book" icon on the "End:" line. Another screen appears.

At the bottom of this screen are three options - "Bookmarks", "Recents", and "Contacts."
o Touch Bookmarks - either your current location or any bookmarks you have saved. o Recents - a list of recent searches or directions; to chose one of these, touch one.
o Contacts - your contact list. Find a contact, then touch the contact's address. You'll go back to the keyboard screen.

Touch Route, at the lower right hand side of the screen, and the iPhone will draw your map and write out the directions.

You can have the option of having the map shown as a map, satellite image, or hybrid of the two, or listing the directions. Just press the "eye" icon and select your option.