How to Drop a Pin on Google Maps on Mobile and Desktop?


Snigdha
By Snigdha | Last Updated on April 20th, 2024 8:43 am | 4-min read

Google Maps is one of the most popular and almost indispensable apps for navigating our way through any city. The app has a clean interface and is easy for anyone to use and find directions to any destination. However, Google Maps can do much more than just direct you from one point to another. The Google Maps app can offer the timing routes for the public transportation available in the area. It even customizes your journey based on the method of transportation you choose. The app also lets you drop a pin on a location that can be saved to your profile or shared with your friends. However, dropping the pin can be quite useful if you are trying to locate a place that doesn’t have an address or is off the road network. This is also a great option for the rare situations where Google Maps gets the address wrong. You can also drop a pin on your place of business or even drop multiple pins on google maps to create a directory app. You can also create a map app using Appy Pie’s no-code app builder.

How to Drop a Pin on Google Maps on Mobile - Android?

If you are using an Android device, you must learn how to drop a pin on the Google Maps Android app.
  • Open the Google Maps Android app on your Android device.
  • You can find an address on the map by either searching for it or scrolling through the map on your Google Maps Android app.
  • Once you locate the address, long press on it to drop a pin.
  • You will see an address or location pop up on your Android device screen.
  • Now, you can tap on the location, save it, share it, add a label to it, or get directions.
These pins can be great for keeping track of the locations on the app.

How to Drop a Pin on Google Maps on Mobile - iOS

If you are an iPhone user, you can read the steps below to learn how to drop a pin on Google Maps iOS app.
  • Open the Google Maps app on your iOS device.
  • On the Maps app, look for an address by searching through the search field or scrolling through your iOS Google Maps app.
  • After finding the address, drop a pin by long pressing the location.
  • An address or location coordinates to the address will pop up on the screen of your iOS device.
  • You can get several options, like getting location details, getting directions, and even adding a label, just by tapping on it.

How to Drop a Pin on Google Maps on Desktop

It is rarely known that you can also drop a pin on Google Maps on desktop computers, and the process is pretty simple and straightforward.
  • Go to the Google Maps homepage using any browser on your desktop computer.
  • Search for the location you want to find on the Google Maps webpage and left-click on it.
  • You will see a small grey pin icon and a small information box appear on your desktop screen.
  • As you click on the information box, a panel will appear on the left.
  • Here, you will see more information about it and a few more options.

How to Use a Dropped Pin - Applications of a Dropped Pin

A dropped pin is more than just a way to share addresses with people you know. In this section, the several ways in which you can make the best use of a dropped pin.
  1. Get DirectionsThe most useful feature of a dropped pin on Google Maps is the ability to give directions. These dropped pins come in handy when you do not have the address to a particular location. You can choose them as a starting point or your destination as needed, but you can’t place two dropped pins and find the route between them. You can use a dropped pin to get directions on both mobile and desktop computers.
  2. Save a locationYou can use a dropped pin to save the pin’s location to a list connected to a Google account so that you can access it through every device you are logged in to. There are three pre-made lists - Favorites, Want To Go, and Starred Places, and you can add or delete lists by going to Your Places in the main menu. You can decide to make each list public or private or share it with other users. It is possible to make group lists where others can add pins too. You can use a dropped pin to save a drop pin location on both mobile and desktop computers.
  3. Send pin from desktop to phoneIf you have ever used a desktop to drop a pin on Google Maps, you can share it using your Google Maps app on mobile devices. A couple of other ways to do this include emailing it to the connected Gmail address or sending it through a text using the phone number that is connected to the Google Account you are using.
  4. Share a locationThere are several ways to share a dropped pin location. Let’s list them out based on the device you are using. If you are using a desktop to share the location of a dropped pin, there are four ways to choose from.
    • Copy the auto-generated, shortened URL and paste it wherever you want to share it.
    • Use the social sharing option to share the dropped pin location through Facebook.
    • You can also Tweet the location link and post it on Twitter for your followers to see.
    • Copy the HTML code and embed the map into your webpage.
    If, however, you are sharing a drop pin location from an Android or iOS mobile application, you only have one option to use the native sharing capability of your device. This means you do not have the option to embed the location on a site.
  5. Add a labelYou can label the newly dropped pin with a custom word or phrase and even add the labeled pin to one of your lists. These labels sync across all your devices where you have logged into using the Google account. This means you will be able to see all these labels on all the versions of Google Maps - the Android app, the iOS app, and the desktop.
You can take all these interesting and useful functionalities and improve them to make a map app of your own. You can even add a directory feature to your map app using Appy Pie’s no-code app maker.

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Snigdha

Content Head at Appy Pie