"How to" for google navigation

darkgreen

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If you have a "how-to" (including links) for google navigation please share. I'm sure we all know the navigation isn't in the manual by now.

A few things I'd really like to know:

I read the local threads (1,2) and people are saying you can save directions and points of interest in google maps on the PC and have them show up on your maps - can anybody put up a step-by-step for us?

This review mentions that when you're driving you can search and it'll insert into your path so you can divert for gas or the like, can this be done with voice search? I can't seem to activate voice search from the driving map.

Can the traffic view be set to show traffic that is off of your driving path so you can see if things get any better taking an alternate route?

Please, more questions and answers and I'll share if I find anything more as well. Us road warriors need to stick together, I really want to leave my GPS out of my bag when I travel!


Edit, updates:

  • This lets you make links to a destination for the desktop (and thus in folders if you like). Was also mentioned in another thread cited above but this link has nice pictures.
  • HerbertM has posted a good instruction on how to get large number of locations from Google maps on the PC into Google navigation and how to access and use them!
  • Voice search: It took us silly long to figure out, but just touch AND HOLD the search button (the permanent magnifier icon on the glass), after a few seconds voice search comes up and you can say "navigate too"
  • The "Labs" option in the "more" part of google navigator lets you turn on a "layers" button. If you do this with your custom map (from google maps on the web) containing lots of locations, you also get a list button to pick a destination. The bad part is that you'll have to rezoom your navigator using "my location" because it zooms out to fit the whole layer in by default.
 
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me_droid

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car Home Navigation Settings

Tried car home - gps navigation, basically works well but there seem to be no customizable settings. Is this true or am I not looking in the right place?

One thing I really want to do is lower the volume of the voice directions - doesn't seem to respond to handset volume and I see nowhere to set it. My ears were aching after the trip home!

Any way to exclude freeways from route?

If there's another thread devoted to gps navigation please point me there...

Thanks!
 

LastBoyScout

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go to navigation. get it to start navigating somewhere. if you do the volume control on the side of the phone, it will then lower or raise the volume for navigation.

same goes for media, the music has to be playing to adjust the volume.

As far as the 1st question about personal maps and using them with navigation, i can add all of my custom google maps that i created on my google account by activating them as a layer.

while driving if you hit the magnifying glass/search button on the phone, it will let you voice search while navigating.

traffic layer is either turned off or on. if its turned on then you should see traffic for every where on the map, even during navigation. try zooming the map out to see more side streets
 
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darkgreen

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As far as the 1st question about personal maps and using them with navigation, i can add all of my custom google maps that i created on my google account by activating them as a layer.

Thank you for your help, you truly are a boy scout!

So if I go to google maps (from PC) and generate a set of directions from point A to point B, how do I get A,B, and/or the route to show up on my phone. Please speak slowly :) What if I have 50 saved locations on my google maps (on PC), how would I get those onto the phone?
 

hebertm1

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To get those 50 places to show on the phone, you have to save it in MyMaps. Once saved, open Maps on phone and go to layers. Once in layers go to More Layers then My Maps. The phone will go to google/maps/My maps and show the maps you have saved. Chose the map you want and the Icons show on your phone. If you have more than one icon you can either choose the icon on the map or in the list and then click navigate to, and you are on your way.
 
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darkgreen

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To get those 50 places to show on the phone, you have to save it in MyMaps. Once saved, open Maps on phone and go to layers. Once in layers go to More Layers then My Maps. The phone will go to google/maps/My maps and show the maps you have saved. Chose the map you want and the Icons show on your phone. If you have more than one icon you can either choose the icon on the map or in the list and then click navigate to, and you are on your way.

Well said sir, linked from top post. I'm feeling better at using google navigation already.
 
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darkgreen

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while driving if you hit the magnifying glass/search button on the phone, it will let you voice search while navigating.

Tested, and I'm afraid this doesn't quite seem to be described right. While navigating hitting the magnifying glass opens text Google search, not voice. Seems dumb, but that's the actual observed behavior on multiple in-car tests this weekend.

To voice search for new destinations while driving: Touch "Home" symbol to get back to the car mode home and touch the center icon "Microphone" to trigger voice search and say "navigate to...."

It's amazing that even knowledgeable people on this board are getting it wrong. How are normal people supposed to do it?
 

LastBoyScout

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not sure exactly what didnt work for you, but if you hit the search icon and then the mic icon and say your destination, it works like a charm

the reason that I know that you are searching in google maps is that beside the search field/box is a picture of the google map icon.

after you speak your destination or searched destination, simply select the pop-up balloon and then select navigate.

is there a one touch voice search? no. This is a two step process.
with your method, its a 3 step.

As for people on this site getting stuff wrong, we are all human, it happens. However, in this case, i can proudly state that I was not... i just maybe didnt explain it well enough.
 
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rothfest

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You can launch navigation from search with the voice search/microphone button. That is the only way I do it. "navigate to nearest beer" (Seriously) ;)

Also, if you GPS starts to flake out... just power down your phone and power it back up. The GPS flaes out on me about once every 2 weeks.
 

MarkB

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Yesterday I accessed a map I saved to my maps on my PC, the droid brought it up as a layer just fine - and I could get directions to show up for the saved maps, but the phone wouldn't go into navigation mode. It said it was, but then would just go back to the zoomed out map view showing the entire route. When I tried hitting the onscreen icon for my destination, the route was lost completely. Not sure what I'm doing wrong here, any advice on getting to navigation mode for the saved map layer once it's displayed? In other words, I followed the directions above and it didn't work. Perhaps I'm missing some step.

Thanks.
 

allison

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Anyone know if there is an option to turn off something like toll-roads? Really would've liked to have been able to find a route over the weekend that wasn't going to cost me $5!
 
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darkgreen

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not sure exactly what didnt work for you, but if you hit the search icon and then the mic icon and say your destination, it works like a charm

the reason that I know that you are searching in google maps is that beside the search field/box is a picture of the google map icon.

after you speak your destination or searched destination, simply select the pop-up balloon and then select navigate.

is there a one touch voice search? no. This is a two step process.
with your method, its a 3 step.

As for people on this site getting stuff wrong, we are all human, it happens. However, in this case, i can proudly state that I was not... i just maybe didnt explain it well enough.

This is good feedback, thanks. I'm still not seeing it though...

When I touch the (front glass, non changing) magnifier button from navigating (just tried it again) I get a drop down search box. It has two input lines, the top of which says "My location" the bottom of which says "End Point". Both have a "bookmarks" icon to the right. Below that are buttons for "car" (selected), a bus icon for public transit, and a walking person, then a "Go" button. There is no microphone button from this search interface.

Either a preference needs to be set or we have different assumptions here. Are you starting from within a navigation as per the original question? At your desk you can test this by going to "car home" manually and then choosing navigate. Now hit the hard-search button (the one on the glass to the right. Note there is no microphone.

Final thought: it seems like you're describing the same number of clicks as I am. My way: 1 click to go to car home, 1 click on the microphone, then speak and choose destination.
 
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