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Many of us know our commutes inside and out, every turn and shortcut mapped out - but even if you know the route perfectly, there are always variables that you can’t control each day.
The biggest of these is traffic. A major traffic jam can be a major bummer if you’re not expecting it, and can often be the difference between getting home on time or not. That’s whereGoogle Mapscomes in clutch - it has some handy features to help you know how your commute is going to go. Here’s our list of tips for using it more efficiently.
Setup your home and work locations in Google Maps
Google Maps is superbly good at all sorts of things, whether it’smeasuring distances between two locations,sharing your location with friendsor getting aheads-up view of walking directions.
If you set up your main travel locations it can also be incredibly useful for everyday tasks like just getting two and from work.
To get started you need to add both your home and work locations to Google Maps:
This basic step then gives you the ability to easily get directions to home and work with a couple of taps. All you need to do next time you open the app is click on the search bar, then tap work or home and you’ll get navigation directions to those places.
If you want information on what your commute is like though, then you’ll need to set up your commute data as well.
Setup your commute for easy access
The next step is to pin your commute within Google Maps so that you can easily see your journey with a couple of taps on your phone. This helps if you quickly want directions but it can also help working out how long your commute is or any problems you might encounter along the way.
To set up your commute follow these steps:
How to tweak and optimise your commute
Once you’ve entered your work and home details into Google Maps it’s also possible to tweak some of the settings to improve you change your commute logic. For example, you can set a departure time to assess what it’ll be like at a specific time of day, you can add stops and you can select from route options. These are worth doing:
Can you use Google Nest Home speakers or Google Assistant?
If you’re an avid user ofGoogle AssistantandGoogle Homeor Nest products then there’s good news. you’re able to set up various differentroutines with Google Assistantthat can help you get the lowdown on your commute with ease.
As with Google Maps, the first step to getting commuting information with Google Home is to set your home and work locations:
Under the transport selection, you can also tell Google how you get to and from work most days - choosing whether you drive a car, use public transport, walk, bike or ride a motorcycle.
Once these settings are entered you’re able to then ask Google about your commute with ease by saying things like:
If you have a Google Assistant smart display in your home then this sort of question will also show the traffic information on the screen as well as letting you know audibly.
How to automate your commute with Google Assistant
As well as finding out about your commute home it’s also possible to create Google Assistant routines to make specific things happen when you start to commute to or from work.
To do this:
You have a choice of various things you can add here. For example, you can get Google to tell you about your commute before it starts, send a message to loved ones, play specific music for your journey and more.
If you’re on the way home then you might want Google to set your heating to a specific temperature so it’s nice and cosy when you return or turn on your lights ready to welcome you. The possibilities depend on your smart home setup and enthusiasm.
All of this is done with a voice command. As default it’s “OK Google, let’s go home” but you can customise it and choose your own.
Get your commute information right in Google results
If you’ve set all this up successfully then you’ll find that your commute information is also available in Google as well. If you’re on a laptop or desktop and are using Chrome while logged in you’ll be able to search for “how is my commute” straight in Google search and it’ll tell you.
This will mean that even if you’re not in the Google Maps app, you can still get that information super quickly and with all of your settings and history taken into consideration.
