Here’s How to Make Changes or Suggest Edits in Google Maps.
Google Maps is typically used for receiving information, not for sharing it. However, the amount of data contained in the app isn’t as limited as it might seem: you can submit your own information and make changes to Google Maps in a variety of ways, from adding new places to adjusting driving directions.
All these changes must be reviewed by the Google team, so there’s no guarantee they’ll actually appear on the map, but in theory, you’ll be helping billions of other active Google Maps users. So, whether Google Maps is incorrectly advertising your local bar as a live music venue or constantly sending people down the wrong route when trying to get to your house, here’s how to make changes directly from the app.
Adding new places to Google Maps
To add a new place in the Google Maps app, long-press the map on the right side of the screen to place a pin. Swiping up on the pin’s information card at the bottom of the screen will allow you to either add a missing place or add your business to Maps . In the latter case, Google Maps will prompt you to complete and confirm a business profile, which you can use to manage the location’s information in the future.
If you’re adding a location you don’t manage, you’ll need to give it a name and select a category. Categories include “Food & Drink ,” “Shopping , ” “Services , ” “Hotels & Accommodations,” and “Outdoor Recreation,” so you’ll need to find the most suitable option.
You can add a place by providing only the name, location, and category, but you can also add other details, including a contact number, opening hours, and photos. Presumably, the more details you add, the better, although Google doesn’t describe the approval process for adding new places to the map.
Google claims that its map data is constantly updated and reviewed, so it likely uses both automated and human processes (such as searching for other online evidence of the listing or checking reviews from other users) to determine whether your new listing will be approved.
Editing location details in Google Maps
You can also make changes to existing locations on Google Maps, and Google actively encourages this in its efforts to keep all map information up-to-date. If you notice that a park’s opening hours don’t match those listed on Google Maps, you can enter the correct information.
Here’s how: After selecting a location on the map, you can open the information card to see all the details and make changes. There are different screens for this. For example, in the “Overview” tab, you can click “Suggest New Hours” under the “Hours” section or “Update Location” under the address if it’s incorrect.
Go to the “About Us” tab, and you’ll see more detailed information: for a restaurant, this might include whether they offer delivery or parking. Click “Edit Features,” and you can add your local expertise to any of these categories.
Again, Google doesn’t disclose how exactly these edits are reviewed and approved, likely to prevent abuse of the system. The app does indicate that you can receive an email about the status of one of your edits, and presumably factors such as similar suggestions from other Google Maps users, as well as your own edit history, will be taken into account.
How to add missing roads or suggest route changes in Google Maps
There are several other ways to update information in Google Maps. If you go to the “Add” tab, you’ll find the “Update Road” button: this allows you to add missing roads, edit road names, indicate whether a road is private or closed, and indicate whether the road is one-way or two-way.
The only way to make changes to a route is to leave feedback on the Google Maps web app, not the mobile app. After the route appears on the screen, tap “Details” next to it on the left, then “Send Product Feedback” (bottom right). You’ll be able to highlight any incorrect steps and explain the error.
However, I want to warn you: I’ve been trying for years to get Google Maps to correctly route me to my house (along the slightly longer, fully paved road, rather than the slightly shorter, dirt path). It’s still incorrect, so your suggestions are unlikely to be implemented.
There’s also a general feedback form you can use for everything else related to Google Maps. In the mobile app, tap your profile photo (in the upper right corner), then select “Help & Feedback” > “Submit Product Feedback .”