Measuring Distance in Google Maps

Now that I use Google Maps frequently whenever I’m heading somewhere, I've started discovering functions by accident. These are simple features that can be really useful, especially when you're walking to your destination.

One of these features is the ability to measure the distance between two points. Interestingly, the ‘Measure Distance’ option doesn’t appear when the device is online, so you’ll need to turn off Wi-Fi or mobile data to use this feature.

Here’s how to do it:

Open Google Maps and zoom in for better accuracy.

Drop a pin at your starting point by tapping lightly on the screen to activate the red location pin.

From there, you can continue measuring the distance to your destination!

Notice the ‘measure distance’ menu appear when offline. When online, the menu is not available.

Tap the ‘measure distance’ to anchor the dropped pin to the starting point.

At this point, you can either go back online or stay offline.

Next, drag the map towards your destination and position the movable target circle over the location. You’ll see the distance between the two points displayed in the lower-left corner of the screen, for example, 0.383 mi.

This is the distance when travelled in straight line but it would be different in real situation when you follow the road or use different roads. 

Here’s how to road map it. 

Whilst dragging the map, place the first turn to the road you choose then tap the ‘plus button’ to anchor the first turning point. 

Continue doing that every time you encounter a turn or a bend, until you reach the destination. If you make a mistake, just tap the ‘back’ arrow button at the top.

The measurement is expectedly increased to 0.522 mi as the road map follows one of the roads rather than a straight line. The more presses of the ‘plus’ sign makes the measurement more accurate.

If you know how to initiate ‘measure distance’ whilst online, please share it at the comments box. Thanks.

Bus Blues

I can no longer afford to own a car, and it’s been years since I last drove one. So, I leave the driving to my chauffeur—the bus driver.

The beauty of having someone else drive you around is that you can do anything—enjoy the view, read a magazine, play games, talk on the phone, or even doze off. And you don’t have to worry about getting a parking fine or, worse, ending up in A&E. Although, not waking up at all would be a bigger concern!

Public transport saves you time and money on parking fees and eliminates the forehead-creasing stress of finding a parking spot.

Thanks to Google Maps and data providers, it’s now easier than ever to find which bus to take and how to connect to your destination. Everywhere is just a tap away.

I see people doing exactly that—tapping away at their phones while at the bus station, on the bus, and even while on the move. It’s dangerous when their focus is entirely on their device instead of the potential hazards around them. I used to do the same, collecting near-misses and “I’m sorry” moments.

I decided to change my approach and find a better way. Waking up the phone, entering the passcode, and finding the right route takes time and full attention.

So, I started using a quicker method—taking a screenshot of the route information. This way, I can easily access the details and keep track of my journey’s progress.

Of course, this still requires waking up the phone, entering the passcode, and scrolling through screenshots. So, I decided to try an “old school” method.

I use Google Maps to look up the details of my destination. To streamline the search, I set it to show only buses, which are cheaper than most other forms of transport.

By default, Google Maps shows all available transport options. Simply tap on the ones you don’t need to exclude them from your search.

I choose the ‘arrive by’ option in the query, as I find it to be a better choice for planning my journey.

I wrote down the relevant details on a sticky note, including the station name, bus number, and arrival times from the station to the connecting stop. I also included the stop IDs, all the way to the final destination.

Then, I stuck the note on the inside of my phone’s protective transparent cover.

Now, every time I need to review my route, I just flip my phone around to check my progress.

Old school can look pretty cool when you’re flipping your phone to check your route, while others are still waking up their phones, entering their passcodes, scrolling through photos, or searching the internet for route information.

Being Practical

Is it really necessary to replace our mobile phones with the latest model as soon as a new one is released? I can already sense those who can afford it nodding their heads. There’s nothing wrong with that, but is it ethical?

There’s an old saying, “Don’t fix it if it’s not broken.” So why replace it, or in marketing terms, “upgrade”?

People are naturally drawn to new things. A few tweaks to the camera or some added features in a new phone can make people stand in long queues to get the latest model. Marketing power words like XL, HD, 5G, or even "vegan-friendly" have conditioned consumers to think they need the newest version.

 I remember many years ago, there was a concept for a modular phone. The idea was that individual components like the camera, Bluetooth, NFC, and so on could be added or upgraded, just like pieces of a Lego set. If a new camera was released, you could simply remove the old camera block and replace it with the new one. If a new feature came out, you could just find an empty block and fit it in. This concept was similar to how computers used to be, especially when they were primarily tower models.

Why didn’t this idea take off? Although it was a good concept, it turned out to be a bit of a hassle. Consumers don’t like complicated things—they prefer to buy, open, and use without too much effort.

There’s not much incentive to keep your old phone, aside from the obvious benefit of saving money for something else. The sad reality is that operating system providers eventually stop supporting older versions, and compatibility issues with new technology arise after about 4 years.

One possible solution could be for mobile and data providers to set up a “decreasing tariff” for customers who continue using their old phones. This would help reduce electronic waste. It may be bad for the companies, but it could be a positive choice for consumers. So why not consider providers that offer second-hand units, like Music Magpie, Envirofone, Giffgaff, or Voxi with refurbished phones? These often come with lower rental fees.

It might not be appealing to everyone, but this small change can save money and be friendlier to the planet. After all, phones are primarily made for calling, anyway.