Google My Maps Tutorial For Beginners

This is a tutorial for beginners on how to use Google My Maps. With this application, you can create custom maps to share with friends and embed on your website. In this video, we will take a deep dive on how to create a basic map, where each tool is, pros and cons, then finally conclude with sharing the map via various methods. My hope is to create a series of videos after this one where I teach you advanced features and sharing further knowledge on map-making.

Google My Maps

Google Sites (Free Web Hosting)

Google Earth

MapHub

Table of Contents
0:00 - Introduction
2:35 - Creating Maps
3:32 - User Interface Layout (Layers)
6:00 - Importing Routes (GPX and KML files)
7:18 - Route Planning Tools
10:44 - Adding POI's (Map Marker)
11:45 - Custom Map Base Layers
13:45 - Custom Styles (Map Markers)
19:57 - Drawing Lines
21:20 - Google My Maps Alternatives
21:50 - Adding Images (Maps Markers)
22:45 - Drawing Shapes (Marking Boundaries)
24:59 - Sharing Your Map
25:55 - Embed Maps For Websites
28:52 - Conclusion

Like and Subscribe!

[mmag]

how can i use such custom routes created on my maps PC and use them on my phone for actual driving for example with offline maps option, following these directions when I share the link and open it on my phone, google maps does not recognize it as driving directions, it just shows me the plotted blue route and stops there

[markwright]

This is not a beginners guide. I just wanted to learn how to create a custom route, save it, and send it to a group. It's the simple stuff you rushed through. I could not follow your mouse nor did I know the nomenclature that wizzed by quickly. This is advanced stuff.

[earljovhancameros]

Thank you so much, sir! I will be utilizing this information to create a spot map.

[agundrum]

You completely turned this not for beginners with the KML file. I am a complete beginner. I only learned about MyMaps 5 minutes before starting your video. You imported something called KML and then proceeded to use all of that information to continue with a "beginners" video.

[TravelTourTaste]

Hello my friend we hope your keeping well . thanks for sharing this with us . we deffo needed to have this app when we were in Malta this is such a great app to have . Stay safe Love and Light Sarah and Glenn

[Mark-fo]

Great content and videos mate. I'm an old fan that's followed you over the years here in Australia. Keep safe k.

[pcat]

Why can no one explain why the routes and measuring is only in KM in European videos but in US videos its in miles but the user cannot change it anywhere.

Great video! Question: Where are the "quick settings" for taking credit (or in my case, removing credit) for sharing or embedding? Google support says "click on quick settings" but I can't find that anywhere. Thanks!

[phila]

Hi. You mentioned "loading" the maps onto your phone or tablet to use on-the-go, but it is not mentioned again in the video.. Do you mean you just navigate to the URL on your device to use the map? Or from the App? I'm an Android user as as of now there doesn't seem to be a mobile version of My Maps.

[jammin]

Hi, found your video great up to a point. Not sure if you're going to be able to help me. I am a driving instructor looking to set up test routes for my students using Google Maps & My Maps. (not straightforward A to B, normally A to M using different roads than normal has to be the set route) I have followed your instructions and this is working up to a point. how do I get the map to load into the SatNav section on Google Maps? the route is showing on Google Maps but will not run like a SatNav? please help I've been trying for hours. TY Jammin

[alwaysarafath]

Thanks for an awesome video!!

1. Is there such options available for Apple Maps or waze? (I saw other options that you have given - thanks)

2. I saw you marked your map as make it available for anyone on the internet to see and use.

How can I search and find it ?
Or
Is that settings there just to make it public and it’s a “link only” workflow ?

Currently I built many maps but trying to see what’s the easy way to share with wider audience or make it available for anyone to search and find it

3. When I get a my map - it’s almost like a reference map with lot of knowledge shared.

Can you do a video as how that can used for an actual trip ? I am struggling to connect this together.

When I share it with my friends they see he full map but they want to use only one aspect of the map (let’s say park and then take the walking track ) how can they start doing that with my map where it has got many layers and options ??

Thanks again for this wonderful video

[adjbob]

Thanks!! But if this is truly for BEGINNERS, don't mention "the UI" as many people don't know = User Interface. Or the limited colors don't "wish it was Hex" as most people aren't familiar with hexadecimal color. I follow you, but most will go "blank" and not retain the overall lesson. (a color hex code is a hexadecimal way to represent a color in RGB format by combining three values – the amounts of red, green and blue in a particular shade of color. These color hex codes have been an integral part of HTML for web design). Obviously you are a tech dude, me too, but it is a foreign language for the vast majority if doing a lesson for beginners.
Otherwise fantastic, personally I learned a lot about mapping with this pgm from you.

[dfranyo]

Very helpful video. Thanks! Do you know how to turn-off any random icons (POI's) that just clutter the screen when you zoom-in? I am trying to plot my own POI's and I really don't need to see the nearest coffee shop. Any ideas?

[cassidyjacobs-de]

Thank you for the video! Is there a way to print the map along with the details?

[EBubu]

Thanks a lot for this tutorial, which I found only after I discovered most of this by myself... ;)

But your longer experience on My Maps might give me a clue to solve recent problems I experienced using My Maps : I've created itineraries, using both importing some kml files from other sites (Waymarked trails...) and creating my own lines with the line tool. And it was weird because, for a while I could only modify the lines I created, but not the imported files. And then suddenly, I could modify SOME (not all) imported files, but could not modify one of the lines I created myself.
Do you have any clue of what happened, or what I did wrong ??? (and how to solve the matter).
Also you mentionned (but maybe you brought answers on some other videos) the possibility of "fusing" several itineraries into one. Is that possible on My Maps, or do I have to use another software to do that ? Thanks for your help.

[averst]

I want to use my maps for navigation in my car (on a cell phone). I cannot find it anywhere. If you do not have this functionality the product is rather useless imho. Am I just stupid or what am I missing here? Please help!

[floydthorne]

Can you then call up the map from My Maps and navigate it with turn by turn directions on my iPhone via CarPlay on my motorcycle?

[ashleyhouse]

What's the point in Google My Maps if you can't send a route to a navigation device like Google Maps?

[VladTrestian]

Hi. Thanks for the great video. When creating a route, is there a way to replace the waypoint icons on the map (A, B, C, etc.) with different icons? Thanks.

[riqueav]

Hi! First off all, congratulations on your video! I'm having a difficult time in one issue. I'm drawing long lines on my map, so, to make it quick, i select the initial and the final points, then i adjust the point in the midle section an keep doing this until it's matching the path i want. The probelm is that every time a adjust it, the visualization comes back to a point far from the one i am . It's so annoyng. Is there a way to fix this?