Guides
Short, practical guides for making and sharing maps with Places.
- Why aren't Google My Maps changes updating when others edit? How to fix it Shared a Google My Maps map but not seeing other people's edits? Here is why My Maps is not live, how to force it to update, and a live alternative.
- Best apps to plan a trip with friends (2026) The best apps for planning a trip together, from one live shared map to full itinerary tools. An honest 2026 roundup of who each is for.
- Best apps to save places from TikTok and Instagram (2026) The best apps that turn a TikTok or Reel into a map of every spot you can use. An honest 2026 roundup of who each one is for.
- Best Google Maps alternatives for planning a trip with friends (2026) Google Maps is great for navigation but weak for planning together. Here are the best alternatives for a shared, editable trip map in 2026.
- Best travel planning apps in 2026 The best travel planning apps in 2026, compared by what matters now: social import, real collaboration, and cross-platform support.
- Best Wanderlog alternatives (map-first and faster on big trips) Wanderlog is powerful but can lag on big trips and paywalls offline maps. Here are the best alternatives in 2026, and who each is for.
- Can you edit a Google Maps list with friends? What works and what doesn't Yes, Google Maps lists have collaborators, but editing is glitchy and not real-time. Here is what actually works, and a live alternative.
- Can you edit Google My Maps on your phone? (And a mobile-first alternative) You cannot edit Google My Maps on a phone, only on desktop. Here is why, the workarounds, and a map you can actually edit on mobile.
- Google Maps shared list not working? How to fix it, and its limits Invited to edit a Google Maps list but stuck read-only, or it won't show up? Here is how to fix the common issues and what lists can't do.
- How to share a travel map with friends (that they can actually edit) The best ways to share a travel map with friends, from a Google Maps link to a live map everyone can edit and vote on.
- How to turn a YouTube travel video into a map of places Watched a YouTube travel guide full of spots? Here is how to get every place onto a map instead of scrubbing the video for names.
- Wanderlog running slow? Why it lags and how to fix it Wanderlog can crawl on big trips. Here is what reportedly causes the lag, real fixes to speed it up, and a faster map-first alternative.
- How to plan a group trip abroad Plan an international group trip on one shared map: gather everyone's spots, vote on what to do, and keep the whole plan in one link.
- How to save Instagram Reels and posts as a map Paste an Instagram Reel or post link into Places and it puts every spot on a map you can share. Here's how, step by step.
- How to share a trip itinerary with friends Share a trip plan as one link anyone can open, or invite friends to edit the same map live. Here's how to share an itinerary in Places.
- How to turn a travel article into a Google Maps list Paste a travel article into Places to pull out the places, then export to open them as a list in Google Maps. Here's the quickest way.
- Google Docs for maps: how collaborative maps work Want something like Google Docs for maps? Here's how a real-time, multiplayer map works, and how to make one in Places.
- How to plan a trip with friends on one shared map Skip the group chat full of links. Here's how to plan a trip with friends on one shared map everyone can edit.
- How to turn a TikTok into a map of places Paste a TikTok link and Places puts every spot from the video on a map you can share. Here's how, step by step.
