In the search bar, enter a destination or tap it on the map. Follow the on-screen instructions to help Maps find your location. Tip: Point your phone camera at buildings and signs across the street, instead of trees and people. Once Maps knows where you are, you'll get directions through the camera view on your screen.

Using Maps URLs, you can build a universal, cross-platform URL to launch Google Maps and perform searches, get directions and navigation, and display map views and panoramic images. The URL syntax is the same regardless of the platform in use. You don't need a Google API key to use Maps URLs.