Turn Google Maps notifications on or off
To check things that interest you, like train schedules or traffic on routes you travel often, turn on notifications in the Google Maps app.
- On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Maps app 👁 Maps
. - Tap your Profile picture or Initial 👁 Account Circle
👁 and then
Settings 👁 Settings
👁 and then
Notifications. - Tap a category.
- Turn on a notification: Next to the notification, turn on the switch.
- Turn off a notification: Next to the notification, turn off the switch.
Notifications you might find
Important: This feature is only available in certain countries and regions.
You can get notifications about unexpected disruptions on your phone’s home screen while you drive. This feature is designed to be proactive and does not require the user to navigate with Google Maps. You’ll get traffic updates when not using Maps if you’ve turned on all required settings:
- Traffic updates when not using Maps
- Physical Activity permissions
- Location permissions
Turn on traffic updates when not using Maps
- On your Android phone or tablet's homescreen, press and hold the Google Maps app 👁 Maps
. - Tap App info 👁 and then
Notifications 👁 and then
Getting around. - Turn on Traffic updates when not using Maps.
Allow Physical Activity permissions
- On your Android phone or tablet's homescreen, press and hold the Google Maps app 👁 Maps
. - Tap App info 👁 and then
Permissions 👁 and then
Physical activity. - Select Allow.
Allow location permissions
- On your Android phone or tablet's homescreen, press and hold the Google Maps app 👁 Maps
. - Tap App info 👁 and then
Permissions 👁 and then
Location. - Select Allow all the time.
- Turn on Use precise location.
Prompts to add photos of places that you've visited
If Google thinks that the photos you’ve taken are interesting to other people, like restaurants and bars, you might get notifications to add a photo.
When you are at a place where you can be the first to add a photo, you might also get a notification.
Before posting a photo, make sure that it follows Google's user content policy.
Learn more about guidelines for posting photos on Maps.Tip: To get these notifications, turn on Timeline.
You might get notifications when someone replies to a review you posted of a place or business.
To read the reply, tap the notification. You'll be taken to the place's detail page, where your review and its reply appear at the top.
You get notifications about nearby events or road closures when Google Maps thinks it might affect a route that you travel often.
If we know about a scheduled event, you’ll get an alert ahead of time so you can plan an alternate route. For example, if there is a concert on your way home from work, you might get a notification one day before the concert.
Tip: To help you plan around events, tap Get a Reminder and Google Maps will remind you about the event closer to when it starts.If you share your location with someone, Google Maps periodically refreshes your position on the map. This ensures that the person you share it with gets an accurate sense of where you are.
To tell you about your location update, you sometimes get a message. This message can be at the top of your screen or in your list of notifications.
Reduce how often you receive this notification
There are ways to make sure your location updates in the background. This makes the notification appear less often.
Tip: Exact steps can vary based on your device.
On Android Pie: Minimize the notification
To make this notification less prominent, you can minimize it. Next time you get the notification, touch and hold it and choose Minimize.
On Android Oreo: Reduce notification importance
To make the notification less disruptive, you can reduce it.
- On your home screen or app menu, touch and hold the Google Maps app 👁 Maps
. - Tap Info 👁 and then
Notifications. - Scroll to "People & Places."
- Tap Updates to your shared location 👁 and then
Importance Low (No sound or visual interruption).
Check for errors
- On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Maps app 👁 Maps
. - Tap your profile picture or initial 👁 Account Circle
👁 and then
Location sharing.
Tip: If there are problems, at the top of the screen, you'll find a warning message.
Turn this notification off
Important: If you turn these notifications off, your shared location doesn't refresh and can become inaccurate.
- On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Maps app 👁 Maps
. - Tap your profile picture or initial 👁 Account Circle
👁 and then
Settings 👁 Settings
👁 and then
Notifications. - Tap Google.
- Turn off Google location sharing (you).
Tip: Exact steps may vary depending on your device.