See traffic or search for places along the way

Note: This feature is only available on Android devices and in some countries.

Using Google Maps, you can see traffic for your drive, search for places easily, or quickly navigate to a common type of place, even if you don't enter a destination in Maps.

See traffic for your drive

To see traffic for your drive, follow the steps below.

1. Open the Google Maps app .
2. On the bottom of the screen, tap Commute . 
3. Set up your commute details or at the top, choose "To home" or "To work." You'll see information like:

• How long it takes to drive to a suggested destination. Destinations are shown based on data from Google Account settings.
• Recommended and alternate routes.
• Traffic delays along the way, such as crashes or construction work.

Create a driving shortcut

To easily see traffic for your drive, create a driving shortcut for your mobile screen.

1. Open the Google Maps app .
2. In the top left, tap the Menu .
3. Choose Settings  Navigation settings Add Driving shortcut.

Get driving notifications using Bluetooth

If you have Bluetooth turned on and your phone or tablet is paired to your car, you'll get driving notifications when you start your car. To turn on notifications, follow the steps below.

1. Open the Google Maps app .
2. In the top left, tap the Menu .
3. Choose Settings Navigation settings Driving notifications.

Search and navigate to common places

To search for and navigate to a place for your drive, follow the steps below.

1. Open the Google Maps app .
2. In the top left, tap the Menu .
3. Choose Start driving.
4. At the top, tap Set destination.
5. Pick a category, like gas stations or grocery stores, or search for a specific kind of place.
6. You'll see places near your route as red dots. To see a place's name and how long it takes to get there, tap a dot.
7. To go to that place, tap Navigate. If you don't want to go there, tap Dismiss. If you don't choose an option, you'll automatically navigate to that place in a few seconds.

Tips:

• You can navigate somewhere directly by tapping the "Set Destination" box at the top and entering a place.
• You can see alternate routes when you start navigation.

See events on your route

When you check the traffic on your commute, you may see events highlighted, such as:

• Concerts
• Parades
• Marathons
• Sporting events

On event days, you’ll get updates about things like:

• Delays
• Closures
• Traffic conditions
• Alternate routes

This info will go away automatically once the event is over. Explore other activities you can find in Maps.