Google Maps, we'd literally be lost without it. But, aside from navigating from one destination to another, there are loads of handy features in the app.

One such feature is the ability to drop a pin. This is extremely useful when you're trying to direct someone to a remote location, that doesn't have a street address, or when a listed address in the app isn't quite right.

Here's how it works on desktop, Android and iOS.

How to drop a pin in Google Maps on desktop

To drop a pin from your desktop browser:

  1. Open your browser, and navigate to the Google Maps homepage
  2. Find the location where you want to place a pin, then long left-click that spot
  3. A small grey pin icon will appear on the map, and you'll see a box pop up at the bottom of the screen
  4. Click on the coordinates in the information box and a new panel will appear on the left-hand side of the screen
  5. Here you can share the pin, save it, get directions or send it to your phone

How to drop a pin in Google Maps on Android

To drop a pin on Google Maps when using an Android device:

  1. Open your Google Maps app
  2. Search for an address or swipe around the map until you find your desired location
  3. Long-press on the location to drop a pin
  4. You should see the address or coordinates pop up at the bottom of your screen
  5. Tap on the location to share it, save it, get directions or add a label
How to drop a pin on Google Maps: mobile and desktop explained photo 2
Pocket-lint

How to drop a pin in Google Maps on iOS

On an iPhone or iPad, the process is very similar.

  1. Open your Google Maps app
  2. Search for an address or swipe around the map until you find your desired location
  3. Long-press on the location to drop a pin
  4. You'll see the address or coordinates pop up at the bottom of your screen
  5. Tap on the location to share it, save it, get directions or add a label

What can you do with a dropped pin?

Now that you've mastered the art of dropping pins, it's time to make use of them. Here are a few things you can do with dropped pins.

Directions

It's easy to get directions to an address with Google Maps, but when you have a more remote location to get to, things start to get a little trickier.

Say, for example, you've found a great beauty spot when browsing around in satellite view but it's not near any roads or businesses. Simply drop a pin, and Google Maps will help you get there, whether it's by car, on foot, cycling or public transport.

Share a dropped pin

Sharing a dropped pin is exactly what it sounds like, it allows you to share a location with friends so that they can find it, too.

On a mobile device, it will use the operating system's share menu, so it'll work in the same way as tapping the share icon on an image or video.

On desktop, you're given four options:

  • Share an automatically generated short link
  • Post to Facebook with the Facebook icon
  • Post to Twitter with the Twitter icon
  • Copy the HTML code to embed the map on your website

Save a location

If you're logged into a Google account, you can save pinned locations for easy access in the future. You'll then be able to find this location across all devices that are logged into your account.

You can organise saved pins into lists, too, making them easy to browse if you happen to save a lot of locations.

We've used this for a number of reasons, like when we find a great free parking space or a cool mountain bike spot in the woods that we want to come back to.

Label a dropped pin

Labelling a dropped pin works very similarly to saving a pin. You can choose a custom word or phrase to let yourself know what the pin is for.

You can also add these labelled pins to lists, effectively doing the same thing as saving the pin.