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A PC is especially useful when a Google Maps task involves scheduling a future trip, organizing a reusable map, or editing and measuring routes. You can still view My Maps on a phone, but Google directs users to a web browser to create or edit one. Here are four desktop-friendly tasks, with the limits that matter for each.
1. Plan a trip for a future departure or arrival
To estimate when to leave—or when a trip may get you to your destination—set a planned date and time in Google Maps on your computer:
- Open Google Maps and select Directions.
- Enter your start and destination.
- Select Leave now, then choose Depart at or Arrive by.
- Enter the date and time to see the estimate for that planned trip.
Google says the estimate uses traffic conditions and transit schedules for the selected time. This feature requires you to be signed in, is limited to one destination, and is available for Driving and Transit—not walking, cycling, or multi-stop routes. You can send the directions to your phone. Treat the result as an estimate, not a guarantee of future conditions.
2. Build a color-coded map with layers
For a map you want to organize and revisit, use Google My Maps. Create separate layers for categories such as restaurants and coffee shops, then hide or show layers as needed. You can style places with colors and icons, group features by data, and inspect or edit layer information in a table.
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Google’s guidance is explicit about the difference between viewing and authoring: existing custom maps can be viewed in the Google Maps app, but creating or editing one requires opening My Maps in a web browser. The wide screen makes category management and table-based edits easier to handle.
3. Save an itinerary and adjust its route legs
My Maps can hold directions as part of a reusable visual itinerary, rather than serving as a replacement for ordinary turn-by-turn navigation. On a computer:
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- Open a map in My Maps and add a directions layer.
- Enter the starting point and destination, then add destinations as needed.
- Choose Driving, Bicycling, or Walking.
- Review the step-by-step directions. To adjust a route, drag it on the map.
Each set of directions is stored on its own layer, which helps keep different route legs organized. The resulting map is useful for viewing or sharing a planned trip; Google’s documentation does not establish that it automatically syncs as a live navigation itinerary.
4. Measure a route, distance, or area
In My Maps on a computer, use the measurement tool to draw a line or shape. Click the starting point, add points at bends or corners, and finish the drawing. My Maps displays the distance; a closed shape also displays its area. Google says these measurements are based on map scale and country.
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For regular Google Maps, Tom’s Guide reported in May 2026 that desktop shows measurements between individual points, while mobile shows the total. That is a secondary-source comparison, not a Google guarantee. My Maps’ ability to show area is documented separately by Google.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Useful extras when building a custom map
If your starting point is an existing dataset, My Maps on a computer can import features such as places, lines, and shapes from supported files and services, including KML/KMZ, GPX, spreadsheets, CSV, TSV, XLSX, and Google Sheets. Google documents file and row limits, so check its import requirements before bringing in a large dataset.
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You can also share a map, export it to KML/KMZ, export a layer to CSV, or print from a computer. See Google’s instructions for sharing, downloading, and printing maps.
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Which device should you use?
- Use a PC to set a future departure or arrival time, create or edit a layered map, adjust directions in an itinerary, or draw measurements—especially when you need to work with categories or tabular data.
- Use a phone to view an existing My Map in the Google Maps app or handle navigation while traveling. For offline navigation, Google’s 2015 announcement describes downloading map areas to a phone for driving directions and place search without connectivity; it is dated guidance, not a complete current feature specification. See Google’s offline maps announcement for that original description.
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