In a recent column for Android Authority, tech writer Megan Ellis argues that Google Maps users are missing out on significant utility by ignoring the application’s built-in lists, custom labels, and saved location features.
Hidden Friction in Google Maps Organization Features
Ellis writes that despite using Google Maps for smartphone navigation since the app’s inception, she spent years neglecting the platform’s organizational tools, such as the You tab and custom lists. The author points out that Google Maps currently maintains three distinct default options for saving locations—labeled locations, favorites, and starred locations—with entirely separate user flows for each. This fragmented approach creates unnecessary friction for users trying to categorize destinations.
Because remote work eliminated the daily commute, labeled locations like standard office addresses sat empty and unused for years. Without active saved locations, Ellis reports having to repeatedly comb through personal text message threads to hunt down specific street addresses for friends and family members. This reliance on manual message searches proved particularly cumbersome for someone who frequently depends on turn-by-turn audio directions for routine out-of-town trips.
Streamlining Navigation with Custom Labels and Voice Commands
To break the cycle of digging through message inboxes, Ellis started actively utilizing custom labels within the mapping application. Setting up a label requires searching for an address, swiping through the information card buttons to select “More,” and then tapping “Add label” to assign a personalized tag. These tags automatically create a hidden list, though Ellis notes the feature remains somewhat buried because labeled places do not appear when viewing standard saved bookmarks.
Once established, these custom labels integrate directly with Google Maps voice commands, allowing drivers to issue conversational prompts like “Take me to Nick” or “Take me to physio.” However, Ellis notes that voice navigation comes with operational quirks, occasionally misidentifying words or failing entirely with specific addresses—such as her parents’ house—which forces her to treat voice prompts as a supervised shortcut rather than a foolproof method.
Google Maps Lists Feature Improvements and Future Updates
Beyond personal contacts, Ellis began using Google Maps lists to keep track of frequently visited commercial shops and local businesses. When users save addresses for specific contacts, those locations automatically populate within designated app lists, a behavior observed during testing of the Pixel VIPs feature. Text searches also incorporate these saved custom locations, though the tagged spots do not appear dynamically during the initial search query; instead, the app applies the label after the search executes.
Ellis concludes that while custom lists and voice shortcuts ultimately save time and eliminate message searches, the overall feature set requires interface polishing from Google. Disconnected saving flows, minor voice recognition errors, and delayed text search results prevent the organizational tools from feeling like a fully cohesive part of the mapping ecosystem.
Frequently Asked Questions About Google Maps Saved Locations
How do you add a custom label to a location in Google Maps?
To add a label, search for the target address in Google Maps, swipe through the action buttons beneath the address name until you find the “More” option, select “Add label,” and type your preferred designation.
Do Google Maps custom labels work with voice commands?
Yes, users can navigate to labeled locations using voice commands such as “Take me to” followed by the custom label name, though minor recognition quirks and misidentifications can occasionally occur.
Why do labeled locations not appear in standard bookmarks?
Google Maps separates default bookmark lists from private labeled locations, meaning custom tags do not show up when users tap the standard bookmark icon on an address info card.
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