Learn how to send locations of your favorite restaurant, stores, and other places of interest from Google Maps on your computer to your iPhone or Android phone.
I love browsing Google Maps on the big screen of my Mac. But when it’s time to call a business or get directions, I use the handy “Send to phone” feature to view the place on my iPhone. It’s a real time-saver as opposed to searching for the same place on the tiny smartphone screen.
Send locations from your computer to a phone
1) Visit Google Maps in a web browser on your Mac or Windows PC. Make sure you’re signed in to same Google account as in Google Maps on your phone.
2) Use the search bar to find a place like a restaurant or a shopping mall.
3) Click Send to phone.
4) Select your iPhone or Android phone.
5) You’ll receive a notification on your phone. Tap it to open that place in the mobile Google Maps app.
How to fix ‘Send to phone’ in Google Maps not working
Here are the essential troubleshooting tips to fix issues with sending locations from Google Maps on your computer to your iPhone.
1. Connect your phone to your Google Account
Make sure you’re signed in to Google Maps on your computer with the same Google account you use on your phone. If you’re not logged in, click the Sign in button in the top-right corner.
Tap your profile picture icon in the Google Maps app on your phone and be sure you’re signed in with the same Google account as on google.com/maps on your computer. If you’re signed in with a different Google account, you don’t have to sign out. Instead, tap the profile picture > the arrow next to the current account and pick Add another account.
2. Turn on notifications for Google Maps on your phone
Naturally, you won’t get notifications from Google Maps on your phone if notifications for the Google Maps app have been turned off in your notification settings.
iPhone
- Open the Settings app and tap Notifications.
- Scroll down and select Google Maps.
- Make sure the switch for Allow Notifications is enabled. Additionally, ensure the boxes for Lock Screen, Notification Center, and Banners are ticked.
Android
The instructions may differ slightly from one phone brand to another. Here are the steps for a Motorola smartphone that runs stock Android.
- Go inside Settings and tap Notifications.
- Tap App settings.
- Tap the Most recent menu at the top and choose All apps. Make sure the switch next to Maps is enabled. You can also tap Maps and dig deep inside a bunch of notification settings for the app.
3. Update the app
Be sure you have an up-to-date version of Google Maps. Head over to the Google Maps page on the App Store or Google Play Store and click the Update button.
4. Restart your phone
If that doesn’t help, try restarting your phone and refreshing the Google Maps page on your desktop browser.
5. Reinstall the app
If all else fails, uninstall the Google Maps app and download it again.
iPhone
Follow the steps to delete apps from iPhone and then redownload Google Maps from App Store. Be sure to sign in using the same Google account as on Google Maps on your computer.
Android
On Android, Google Maps is among the core system apps that cannot be uninstalled. However, you can visit the Google Maps page on Play Store and hit Uninstall to remove all app updates, then restart the device and update the app to the latest version. Also, clearing the Google Maps cache may help, here are the steps:
- Touch and hold the Maps icon in your Android launcher or on the Home Screen and choose the information option ⓘ.
- Tap Storage & cache on the App info screen.
- Tap Clear cache.
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