How to Use Plus Codes on Google Maps?

What do you do when you fall into an unknown and unmarked place? How do you call for help or ask someone to come and pick you up? Google wants to answer these questions with Plus codes in the Maps app. But what is it and how is it used?

Many times we find ourselves in a place where there is no street name, no sign or anything else to cross. Imagine what happens when you’re on a trail, hiking or biking, or anywhere else in Mother Nature’s arms. We were all there. We all need help with some information and this is where the new Plus codes on Google Maps come to our rescue.

Let’s start.

What are Plus Codes?

The plus code acts as a personal street address for your phone standing or sitting position. Each location or point has a unique plus code. It is a series of alphanumeric digits with the ‘+’ sign and code for your exact location followed by the city name. Check the screenshot below.

Wherever I click in New Jersey, the first two alphabets stay the same. So I’m guessing that Google follows a logic like country, city, and region, followed by a two-digit plus code.

Each plus code is unique and associated with a unique location or point on Earth. How cool?

How Plus Codes Work

Most people use Google Maps and still use Plus codes on Google Maps. I am using Android for this article. Open Google Maps, no need for a separate app and enable your GPS.

Now, tap on the blue dot that shows your current location and you will see a blue menu with several options. You should see your city name and the plus code for your location.

When you tap Choose a place at the top of the screen, you will see a series of red dots on the map. Each dot represents a known point near you, with their corresponding name at the bottom of the screen within the cards. It could be a restaurant, ATM, diner or something else. Something to help the other party find you.

It’s a physical landmark that’s much more helpful for finding someone while walking around. Name, hours of operation etc. Tap the red dot and then the Plus code to learn more about the place, such as Now you can share this Plus code to help others find you or specific spot near you.

So you can share your exact location or a nearby point depending on your situation.

Notice that one of the options is Save your parking. Pretty useful, huh? I know some people who use a dedicated app for this. Not anymore. The parking feature also comes with the ability to take notes, set reminder time and add photos. This will be more helpful for people who have trouble remembering things or have poor memory.

The Select a place and See nearby places options bring up the same menu for me. Bug? The service is still new, so that might be it.

Share your location is interesting. It opens a menu where you can see your phone’s location, battery details and profile picture. You know, so others know they have to hurry because your phone is about to die and you’re not carrying a power bank.

A list of the apps you’ve used recently and the people that appear there is self-explanatory. And then there is this option to set the time. You share your location in real time and this timer decides to keep doing it for a long time. Imagine being abducted and dialing real-time location using crosshairs. Bad example. Imagine that you are cycling or hiking and you want someone to know that you are okay and that you are heading in the right direction.

The plus code can also come in handy for those who live in unnumbered houses. According to Google, more than 2 billion people worldwide do not have a proper address. Imagine how difficult it is for them to sign up for essential services, banking, or simply call the emergency services. Plus codes can solve this problem to some extent.

Plus Codes Features

Like most Google apps and services, Plus codes are free to use. The good thing is that it works offline, so you don’t need an active internet connection.

Remember when we discussed that codes were similar or started similarly when two points were close together? This can tell if the person is nearby without even having to open the app.

Don’t have a smartphone or want to use Plus codes for your store offline? Google has made this non-exclusive that you can pin on a grid map paper. That was thoughtful. Google notes that Plus Code doesn’t use country codes, so it works in disputed territories and places that haven’t been mapped yet. Unmapped places are where these codes would be most useful, I think. For everything else, we have street names, landmarks, and sometimes memory.

Plus codes work in Google Maps, but they also work in Google Search. This makes it incredibly easy to use and find someone quickly. The search result link will immediately take you to the Maps app.

My World Map

Google Maps keeps getting better, adding new and useful features frequently. Plus codes are the latest in Google’s long-standing efforts to make traveling and commuting easy, fun, and effortless. If that wasn’t enough, Google went ahead and made it open source so developers could build on it. There’s a reason Google Maps is so loved and used.

Next: See the next link for a great list of the best Google Maps tips and tricks you can use to improve your commute and travel needs.