Enter GPS Coordinates In Google Maps: A How-To Guide

Treasure hunters traditionally relied on clues and trails that led to GPS coordinates to point to the hidden treasure. However, this hunting is mostly fiction and fun to watch in movies. In the real world, if you have a list of coordinates for fascinating places or monuments, you can enter these values in Google Maps to point to their location. This pointing can help you plan a trip to the site while following directions given by the app. Or you can share the spot with a fellow traveler. We will look at how to enter GPS coordinates in Google Maps below to guide you through the process. Take a look!

Table of Contents

Locating the Coordinates

Before searching for a location, you need to have coordinates. You can find latitude and longitude coordinates in a newspaper, magazine, or website. Also, you can get them from a map application, and here’s how you do it.

From a Windows Desktop Browser

Open Google Maps, then find the location of the area of interest. Right-click (or control-click on Mac) on that spot, and the coordinates will be at the top of the popup.

A Google Map image of the Seattle Area

A Google Map image of the Seattle Area

You can go further by selecting “What’s here,” which will give you the name and pair of coordinate locations on the spot you right-clicked.

The result of clicking “What's here” (King County, Washington, with the coordinates in blue)

The result of clicking “What’s here” (King County, Washington, with the coordinates in blue)

From Apple Maps

Open Apple Maps on your Mac, then zoom in on the area of interest. Control-click on that spot and select “drop pin.” A red pin will appear with a popup window showing all the information, including the address and coordinates.

The result on Apple Maps after control clicking

The result on Apple Maps after control clicking

From an Android Device

Open the Google Maps app, then zoom in on the area of interest. Tap and press that location until a red pin appears on the screen. The latitude and longitude coordinates will appear on the search bar at the top, which you can copy. However, the point must not have a label on the map for the coordinates to appear. If labeled, the search bar will remain empty.

A handheld phone with a map application and a GPS locator. Note the red pin.

A handheld phone with a map application and a GPS locator. Note the red pin.

From an iPad or iPhone

Open the Maps application, then zoom in on the area of interest. Tap and press on that spot until a red pin shows, then tap on “Dropped Pin” to show the area’s coordinates. However, the point must not have a label to show the coordinates.

With the coordinates copied, you can use the following steps for searching and sharing coordinates.

You can search for coordinates directly on Google Search, and the result should be a map with a pin on those coordinates.

The result after entering GPS coordinates on the Google Search bar

The result after entering GPS coordinates on the Google Search bar

Ensure you begin with the latitude coordinates followed by the longitude ones when searching. You can click the image to direct you to Google Maps to get more information.

How To Enter Location Coordinates in Google Maps on a Computer

First, search for the maps application on the desktop browser. Next, type the coordinates in the search box using either of the acceptable geolocation formats. These include:

  • Degrees, Minutes, and Seconds (DMS): An example is 41°24’12.2″N 2°10’26.5″E
  • Degrees and Decimal Minutes (DDM): An example is 41 24.2028, 2 10.4418
  • Decimal Degrees (DD): One example is 50.0338, 2.17403

Hit enter after entering these coordinates. A red pin will show up and point to the exact spot on the map.

A hiker with a GPS navigator tracker for coordinates

A hiker with a GPS navigator tracker for coordinates

And the correct format involves using periods as decimals, not commas. Also, use the degree symbol instead of d.

How To Enter Location Coordinates in Google Maps on a Mobile Device

Open the Google Maps app, then paste or type the coordinates into the maps search box using either of the three formats listed above. Hit enter.

A red pin will show up at the entered coordinates. The steps are the same whether you are using an iOS or Android device because the Google Maps app is the same on both platforms.

A hiker using GPS coordinates in a GPS tracker to find the right position while walking through a forest

A hiker using GPS coordinates in a GPS tracker to find the right position while walking through a forest

Once you find the coordinates on the map, you can share the location using the share button.

Factors To Keep in Mind When Using Longitude and Latitude Coordinates

  • The latitude value should always come before the latitude value
  • There are three coordinate format styles. Ensure you use them correctly, especially when you type coordinates. You will probably not have issues when you copy-paste the values.
  • Google Maps uses the decimal degrees format (number, decimal point, number). So it will give you the values in this format if searching for a location.
A phone, tablet, and PC running map applications

A phone, tablet, and PC running map applications

  • With the DD format, the number before the decimal for the first value is the latitude. On the other hand, the number before the decimal for the second value is the longitude. The latitude value should be between 90 and -90, while the longitude should be between 180 and -180.
  • Google Maps can also interpret the other formatting standards, so you don’t have to worry about converting from DMS or DDM to DD. Just paste the coordinates and hit enter.

Wrap Up

In conclusion, GPS coordinates can help you locate places on maps, especially if the areas don’t have labels or names. So if your travel buddy discovers a waterfall or beautiful feature and sends you the coordinates, you can paste them on Google Maps to find the spot. That’s it for this article. Drop a comment below or contact us if you have questions or comments.

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