The following diagram describes some of the features available in Google Maps. Not all features may be available in your location.

1. Get directions - Need to get somewhere? Click for driving, walking, biking, or public transportation directions.
2. My Places - Create your own personalized maps, view your starred locations, and see which businesses you've reviewed.
3. Search Maps - Search for places, businesses, intersections, addresses and more on Google Maps.
4. Show/Hide - Click the left arrow (<<) to hide the left panel, and the right arrow (>>) to show the left panel.
5. Navigate the map - Click and drag the map to pan or use the arrows. Drag the zoom slider up or down to zoom in or out incrementally.
6. Layers - Hover over the widget in the righthand corner of the map to view available layers for your location, such as traffic, photos, and more. You also have the option to view map in your preferred language for either Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Korean, or English. Learn more about all of the available layers in Google Maps.
7. Print/Send - Print out a map or send maps to other people.
8. Link to this page - Create a web address (URL) for your map that can be easily shared with others.
9. Search results - You'll find your search results in the lefthand panel. Click any result to view more information.
10. Map - The Map area will show a geographical location with corresponding search results and other information from that location.
11. Street View - Drag the yellow pegman on the map's zoom controls to a location on the map to view and navigate street-level imagery.
12. Info window - When you click a red info window will appear that that displays additional information about a particular place.
13. Views - Toggle between Map, Satellite, and Earth views.
14. Overview Map - See the location of your current map view (in the purple box) in the context of a larger geographical area. At any time, click to hide the overview map or click to display it again. 
15. Report a problem - Help to make Google Maps better by reporting data or product issues.

Choosing a Default Location

The default view that Google Maps displays is determined by your location. However, if you'd like to use a different location, enter an appropriate address in the search box and click Search Maps. You can also use one of your saved locations. Once your address appears, click Make this my default location in the information window. This address now appears as your default location.