If you’re a regular user of Google Maps, you’ve doubtlessly noticed the My Places tab that appears in the left-hand menu. In case it’s evaded your scope, the My Places tab is an option that allows you to make interactive maps of cities you like, mark your favorite places with a star (basically, a bookmark) so you can quickly access the locations anytime, or directions you’ve saved in case you happen to like a particular route. Today, Google Maps announced an addition to the My Places tab that will likely make some of your cartographical decisions a little easier.
When you next visit Google Maps, you’ll see a pop-up message in the left-hand column that points to a place where you can set a location for both home and work (see the lead image to this article). You’ll need to sign into your Google account in order to save a location for Home and Work (you don’t even need to enter your honest work or home locations – go nuts with the new feature!) but once you’ve done so, you’ll then be able to simply click on either the Home or Work link to jump to the respective locations.
If you’re using an iPhone, this feature won’t work with the native Maps app that comes with the phone. However, you can access Google Maps via the web app version and, again, as long as you’re signed in to your Google account, still access the locations you’ve saved as Home and Work. Similar with the webpage, if you begin to type in either word in the search bar, you’ll see your bookmark appear as part of the auto-complete suggestions.
Likewise, you can access the web app for Google Maps if you’re using an Android or Windows phone. As far as Google Maps for Android goes, Google just released version 6.7 last week but I imagine 6.8 or a version soon after will have the Home and Work bookmark features included. If you’re using a Windows phone, give the web app a try.