the most common problems and their solutions

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As we say, we can also run into some problems on Google Maps. They can be for connection reasons, for the location or because we do not search the sites correctly. Be that as it may, you should not be alarmed, since everyone has an easy solution for all users. In this tutorial we will tell you which are the most common and how you can solve them.

Check if location services work

location problems

Before knowing the problems of Google Maps, the first thing we have to do is check if the location services of our device work correctly. It seems simple, but it is far from it. These have improved considerably in recent years, but the truth is that some phones continue to have problems with this technology. The first solution is the simplest: turn off and turn on the mobile GPS. To do this, all we have to do is go to the notification bar of our phone and deactivate the function. When we have done it, we wait 10 seconds before activating it again.

On the other hand, we can also do this from the settings of our terminal, for which we must follow the following steps:

  • Open the Settings from your phone
  • Look for the section Location
  • Then, click on the button to activate or deactivate it.
  • You can also activate the option Improve accuracy, for which applications will use the Wifi and the Bluetooth to detect the location more accurately, even when these are disabled.

Restart the mobile

A priori you may think that it is a very simple solution, but believe me it is not. As you already know, mobile phones can present problems for different reasons, and restarting it can solve them on many occasions. Sometimes this method is used to update the configuration and correct common errors, and by testing we do not lose anything. Each mobile has a different way of restarting, but they all serve to fulfill our mission. When you’re done, try using GPS again. If the problem has been fixed, then it will be the fault of Google Maps.

If for some reason your mobile has stopped unexpectedly due to the application and does not respond to any command, you can force restart of the telephone. For this, what you have to do is keep pressed at the same time the button lower volume and that of switched on for a few seconds. The time varies by brand, but normally we must wait less than 10 seconds for it to restart.

Google Maps has been blocked

Applications can crash for different reasons, either due to loading problems or because they are unable to perform some complex actions. If this is the case, you can try several solutions. The first one is to check if we have the latest version of the application installed. To do this, you just have to go to Google play. If it isn’t, update it to use the latest features and avoid opening errors.

If you are already updated to the latest version available, the next step is clear cache and the data of the application. To do this, follow these steps:

  • Open the Settings of your mobile
  • Look for the section Applications.
  • Then scroll through all of them until you see Google Maps.
  • Click on it and and go to the Storage section.
  • You can then do two things: delete the cache or delete the data. The first option will erase the temporary files, and the second option will permanently delete all data and locations.

Compass problems

compass google maps

One of the most common problems in Google Maps is that it does not detect or correctly point to the orientation to which our mobile is currently directed. There are times when this element does not point in a straight direction to the direction we are going, moving to the other side or backwards. This can be due to a number of reasons, such as not having properly calibrated the compass. But don’t worry, because you can do it in several ways. This is the fastest way:

  • Open the Google Maps application.
  • With location enabled, click on the blue circle that appears on the map. It shows your location in real time.
  • When you click on it, a screen will appear with several options. Click on Calibrate the compass.
  • It will then ask you to follow the instructions that appear. To do this, you must move the phone drawing eights following a blue line that acts as a guide. You will need to repeat the process three times.

On the other hand, you can also do it from the settings of the app activating an option that very few users know. To do this, follow these steps:

  • Open Google Maps.
  • Click on the photo of your profile, which appears in the upper right
  • Search and access the section of Settings.
  • Scroll through all the options until you see a tab with the name of Navigation settings.
  • Look for the option Keep the map with north up and activate it.

Google Maps cannot connect to the Internet

Sometimes the application may display a message saying «It seems that you are offline». This may be due to stability problems in your connection, or simply that there is some problem in the network or with the app itself. As you already know, Google Maps can also work offline, but in this way we will not be able to use some of its functions or get the most out of it. Therefore, all you have to do to make sure is to check if you have mobile data activated. You can do it from the notification bar or in the Settings of your mobile, in the section of Connections.

No search results are displayed

problems maps

Finally, this is one of the most common problems that we find in Google Maps. When we search for a place, we must do it in the simplest way possible, since the application is constantly updated and there are times when it is not able to identify some sites. In addition, you should know that this tool shows the results of the area in which we are, so we can have problems if we look for a site in a different one. First check that you have spelled correctly, and to ensure more scroll to the area of ​​the location that you want to consult.