Google Maps app not working? Here’s how to fix

Google Maps is a platform for web mapping owned by Google for consumers to plan their travel routes by foot, car and public transport. It has over one billion users every month from all over the world.

It uses satellite imagery as well as 360° panoramic views of streets, that you can interact with to effectively walk the streets and see what is around any given area of interest. Google Maps also uses aerial photography as part of its collective database to ensure a comprehensive bird’s eye view of the globe.

Whys is Google Maps not working?

The main ways that you can fix your Google Maps app is to first make sure you update Google Maps – in many cases, this will fix Google Maps. You can also try and reset Google Play services and clear cache, which will get rid of any data the app has already saved.

The images are updated regularly and most of them are less than 3 years old at any time as changes to infrastructure happen. Google Maps also offers GPS navigation and parking assistance features for both Android and iOS.

So, there are several reasons why Google Maps may not be working when we need it to, out of date software, mis-calibration and even poor WIFI signals can impede the use of this app, so how here we will look at some quick fixes to get you back on your path.

Any app available to us can run into problems for one very simple reason, not updating software to the most recent available. Many device users don’t see updates as important, I am guilty of delaying updates because I just want to use an app for one thing so why bother right? Unfortunately, my lack of patients is common amongst all users.

It is however crucial to update whenever a new software update becomes available to us. On Android and iPhone, the process of updating Google Maps is slightly different but very easy to do, the methods below work when needing to update any app so it is best to remember how to do it for future use.

If you have an Android phone the user should do the following;

1. Go to the Google Play Store app.
2. Select your account icon in the top right-hand corner.
3. In the drop-down select ‘Manage Apps and Device.’
4. Under ‘Updates Available’ it will state how many apps you need to update.
5. Select the ‘Updates Available’ option.
6. Find Google Maps in the list.
7. Select Update.

To update on iPhone;

1. Open the App Store.
2. Tap your profile icon at the top of the screen.
3. Then scroll to see if any impending updates are waiting and release notes about the software.
4. Tap ‘Update’ next to the Google Maps app.

Why does Wi-Fi affect the app?

It seems like I am stating the obvious but you would be surprised how these fixes are skipped over, the next one you should try when Google Maps isn’t working is to check your WIFI signal.

If you don’t have decent or any WIFI signal this app will not work, your network provider data will also need to be used if WIFI isn’t available to you. Try connecting to a Network by tapping the WIFI icon, alternatively try turning your WIFI on and off again by tapping the same Icon.

If you do not have access to data, this can be remedied when out travelling by downloading the map you need offline before you leave, that way you can still reference the map without any signal.

How to turn on your location services?

iPhone and Android users need to make sure when using Google Maps that their location services are on for Google Maps to work accurately. To turn on location for Android users you can take the following easy steps;

1. From the Home Screen go Apps > Settings > Location.
2. Tap Location.
3. Make sure the Location switch is set to ‘On.’
4. Or Scroll down from the top of the Home Screen.
5. Tap the location on the shortcut icon.

On iOS;

1. On your iPhone or iPad open the settings app.
2. Tap privacy> Location Services.
3. Make sure Location Services is switched on.
4. Scroll to Google Maps and select it.
5. Choose ‘Always On’ while using this app to prevent having to do it manually every time.

Conclusion

There are many reasons why Google Maps as an app might not be working and the above addresses some of the quickest and most simple fixes available that are most common amongst users. When fixed, you can easily plan out your next trip abroad and add multiple destinations in Google Maps. By doing these things you can ensure that the app works efficiently to get you to your destination each time when you need it most.