Turn Google Maps notifications on or off

You can turn on notifications in the Google Maps app and see things that interest you, like train schedules or traffic on routes you travel often.

  1. and thenOn your iPhone or iPad, open your iPhone or iPad’s Settings app.
  2. Tap Notifications and then Google Maps Google Maps.
  3. Turn on Allow Notifications.

To turn on a notification, like when to leave for an event, follow the steps below.

  1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Google Maps app Google Maps.
  2. Tap Menu Menu and then Settings Settings and then Notifications.
    • Turn on a notification: Next to the notification, turn on the switch.
    • Turn off a notification: Next to the notification, turn off the switch.

Notifications you might see

Here are some types of notifications you might see from Google Maps:

Prompts to add photos of places that you've visited

You might get notifications to add a photo you’ve taken in public places that Google thinks are interesting to other people, like restaurants and bars.

Photo guidelines

Before posting a photo, make sure that it follows Google's user content policy. Your photos should also meet these guidelines:

  • Be in focus and not blurry

  • Show what most people experience, like the food or the ambiance

  • Not be a selfie or a group photo

Note: To get these notifications, enable the permission for Google to check for photos. Google only gets the location data from the photo's metadata.

Reminders for when to leave for an event
In Google Calendar you can add events, like dinner reservations or birthday parties. In Google Maps, you'll sometimes get notifications about when to leave to get to your event on time.
Turn-by-turn driving directions
You might get notifications for driving directions when you’re navigating to a place and you already have the Google Maps app open.

Note: To get these notifications, you need to turn on Location History.
Information about a place sent from Google Maps on your computer
If you use Google Maps on your computer, you can send a place to your phone or tablet. Sometimes you'll get notifications about these places in the Google Maps app.
Prompt to update an offline map
The offline maps you download need to be updated to stay accurate. You'll sometimes get notifications to update offline maps that are about to expire.
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