4 annoying Google Maps features you can turn off

Published Nov 13, 2026, 4:00 PM EST Bertel is a lifelong tech enthusiast with over a decade of experience writing thousands of articles about Android devices, Linux, and more. Before joining the How-To Geek team, Bertel wrote for the likes of MakeUseOf, MakeTechEasier, and Android Police—at the latter he wrote over 3,500 articles. He delights in helping others decide which tech to bring into their lives... and which tech to do without. Bertel graduated from the College of William and Mary in 2012 with degrees in History and Government. He has spent his entire career as a tech journalist covering Android, Linux, wearables, smart home devices, and more. Google Maps could be the perfect navigation app if only Google would leave things alone. Whether it's surprise changes, disruptive questions, or default settings that don't apply to you, some of the design choices are a genuine pain. Fortunately, to do away with those frustrations, you just need to know where to look. Put an end to Google Maps's intrusive questions I'm driving — leave me alone One of the reasons I avoid Google Maps when possible is because I find Google's default choices to be infuriating. I don't want the route I'm driving to threaten to change if I don't tap the screen in time, nor do I want to be asked to tell Google whether a cop is still nearby. This may be a shocker, but I'm trying to focus on the road. You can turn off some of Google's excesses by tapping your profile icon at the top and going to Settings -> Notifications -> Q&A and chat. Make sure to turn off "Your area, roads, and trips." While you're at it, feel free to turn off many other, if not all, notifications. I don't need Google to keep me abreast of "new and trendy places," which is just another name for ads. If you really want to reduce Google's distractions while driving, you can also disable "Get alerts for reported incidents and other conditions that may impact your driving." If you're like me, you're probably already looking ahead to see if your driving route has turned from blue to yellow or red anyway. Make Google Maps more (or less) chatty Either one can be a pain Sometimes you're using Google Maps to get somewhere, and you already know 90% of the drive. You only need help for the last few turns. In such a situation, having navigation loudly chime for every detail along the entire drive is aggravating. On the flip side, having Google Maps be completely silent as you're stressed out in an unfamiliar city can be a recipe for missing a turn. When I'm in Northern Virginia or Hampton Roads, such a mishap can easily add half an hour, if not more, to my drive. To adjust Google's voice instructions, go to Settings -> Navigation. The options for "Mute state" and "Guidance volume" are directly below Sound & Voice. Turn off recommendations for the wrong type of fuel I don't need to know where gas stations are Most people are driving gas-powered ICE vehicles or hybrids, so you need to know where gas stations are — I get it. Yet I switched to an electric vehicle nearly a decade ago. Telling me where gas stations are is useless information, but this is the type of fuel Google Maps surfaces by default. If your car is powered by electrons like mine, you can get recommendations for charging stations by telling Google Maps you drive an EV. You can do so by going to Settings > Your vehicles. You can even go a step further by telling the app precisely which kind of charging plug your car uses. Now, when you swipe up during a trip and select "search along route," the first choice will be charging stations, not gas stations. The latter is still available, though, for when the most pressing matter isn't fuel, but someone's bladder. Tell Google Maps not to stalk you You can also delete the history it has on file If you simply select "yes" to all the questions when setting up your phone, then Google likely knows everywhere you go. This is especially creepy when you access your Google Maps Timeline only to see a record of how you've moved through the world going back months, if not years. Abusers have used this information to keep tabs on partners who did not know such advanced stalking was a thing or how to turn it off. Go to Settings -> Location & privacy and scroll down to "Timeline." Turn the feature off. You can also delete any history Google has already saved. We can only trust that Google is actually deleting this data in the backend, but at least these settings will blind abusers who might have the bright idea to sign into your account. Of course, to keep them from simply turning this feature back on, you'll also have to make sure you've changed your password to something they don't know. If you do want this type of information, and you're curious enough to install server software, you can self-host your own Google Maps Timeline alternative. Maybe the least annoying version of Google Maps is an entirely different app Google Maps may come pre-installed on Android phones and take zero effort to install on iPhones, but it's hardly the only navigation app out there. MapQuest would love for you to know that it's still alive and well. So are newer options like HERE Maps. Magic Earth is a navigation app with safeguards for privacy. If you prefer to stick to free and open-source software whenever possible, then it's worth considering OSMAnd and Organic Maps, which both rely on OpenStreetMap.org.