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To share one fixed spot in Google Maps, touch and hold that point until a pin appears, open the location card, tap Share, and choose your messaging or other app. This sends a link to the selected map point—not your continuously updating position.
Share a dropped pin from the Google Maps mobile app
The same basic gesture works on Android phones, iPhones, and iPads. Google Maps Help describes it as: “Touch and hold the map to drop a pin.” After the pin appears, you must open the location panel at the bottom before the sharing control is available.
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Android
- Open the Google Maps app.
- Move the map until the place you want to send is visible. You can search first or pan and zoom manually.
- Touch and hold the exact point on the map. Keep your finger down until the red pin drops.
- Tap the place name or address shown in the panel at the bottom of the screen. This expands the information for the pinned point.
- Tap Share. If you do not see it immediately, tap More and look for Share there; Google lists this as a possible Android layout.
- Choose the messaging, email, social, or other app you want to use, select a recipient, and send the generated map link.
The recipient can open the link to view the point you selected. The pin remains a fixed map location unless you send a new one.
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iPhone and iPad
- Open Google Maps.
- Find the area containing the destination.
- Touch and hold the map at the desired point until a pin drops.
- Tap the place name or address in the bottom panel.
- Tap Share.
- Choose the app through which you want to send the location, then select the person or conversation and send it.
On iOS and iPadOS, the location card is the step that exposes the share action. If you only see the map and not the card, tap the address or place label at the bottom first.
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What a dropped pin shares
A dropped pin represents one point that you selected on the map. It is useful for meeting spots, trail entrances, building entrances, temporary locations, or places that do not have an obvious street address. The shared item is a map location link associated with that point; it is not a feed of your movements.
Google’s Location Sharing feature is different. Google says that, depending on how it is configured, recipients may see the sharer’s name and photo, recent device location, and battery status, among other information. Use Location Sharing only when you intend to let someone follow a changing position. For a single destination, use the dropped-pin procedure above.
Choose the right way to send a location
| Goal | Google Maps option | What the recipient receives |
|---|---|---|
| Send one selected spot | Dropped pin | A link to the fixed map point you touched. |
| Identify a precise point in text | Plus Code | A Plus Code that can be copied and pasted into a message. |
| Let someone see where you are as you move | Location Sharing | Changing location information; Google says the available details can include your name, photo, recent location, and battery status. |
| Share a map view from a computer | Menu → Share or embed map | A copied map link, or HTML for embedding the map on a webpage. |
| Send a planned journey | Directions sharing | A route-sharing option after you enter directions; this is separate from sharing a dropped pin. |
Send a Plus Code when an exact written identifier helps
A Plus Code is useful when a location has no conventional street address or when you want a text identifier that can be copied exactly. Google’s iPhone and iPad instructions place the Plus Code in the location panel after you drop a pin.
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- Drop a pin by touching and holding the map.
- Open the location panel by tapping the place name or address at the bottom.
- Tap the Plus Code shown in that panel to copy it.
- Paste the code into your preferred messaging platform and send it.
The Plus Code route is an alternative to tapping the normal share button. It is especially appropriate for a point without a conventional address, while the regular share link is generally simpler when your recipient can open Google Maps.
Share a map location from a computer
Google documents a computer workflow for sharing a map view rather than the mobile, tap-by-tap dropped-pin interface. Use it when you are working in a desktop browser.
- Open Google Maps and navigate to the area you want to show.
- Click Menu.
- Choose Share or embed map.
- In the sharing dialog, copy the link for email, text, or social sharing, or copy the HTML if you are embedding the map on a webpage.
- Paste the copied item into the destination you chose.
This computer command shares the map view you opened. Google lists directions sharing separately: enter a route, click Share, and select a sharing option. Do not expect the desktop menu to look exactly like the mobile dropped-pin card.
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How to place the pin accurately
Use the map position, not only the label
When you touch and hold, the pin lands at the point under your finger. Before sharing, inspect the map and the address or place name in the bottom panel. This matters for large properties, parks, campuses, road junctions, and places where several entrances are close together.
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The pin itself is not the final share action. Tap the place name or address at the bottom to open the location details, then choose Share. Sending before checking that panel can make it harder to notice that the pin landed on a nearby road or building.
Use a Plus Code for an unaddressed spot
If the panel does not show a meaningful street address, copy the Plus Code on iPhone or iPad and send it as text. This gives the recipient a precise identifier for the selected point rather than relying on an incomplete address description.
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- Hands-free calling when paired with your compatible smartphone with BLUETOOTH technology and convenient Garmin voice assist lets you ask for directions to places you want to go
- Road trip–ready features include the HISTORY database of notable sites, a U.S. national parks directory, Tripadvisor traveler ratings and millions of Foursquare POIs
- Driver alerts for things such as school zones, sharp curves and speed changes help encourage safer driving and increase situational awareness
- Access live traffic, fuel prices, weather, parking and smart notifications when you pair this navigator with your compatible smartphone running the Garmin Drive app
Troubleshooting
The pin will not drop
- Touch and hold the map rather than tapping once. Google’s documented gesture requires a sustained press.
- Move your finger to the exact location and try again if the first press selected an existing place instead of an open map point.
- Zoom in before pressing when nearby roads, buildings, or map labels make the target difficult to distinguish.
There is no Share button on Android
Open the location card by tapping the place name or address at the bottom. If Share is still not visible in the first row of controls, Google says to check More. The Android instructions specifically note that the control may be located there.
The bottom location card is missing
After the pin appears, tap the label or address at the bottom of the screen. The card is the gateway to Share and to the Plus Code on supported iPhone and iPad views. If the map has moved, drop the pin again and repeat the tap on the newly displayed label.
The shared point is not where you intended
Close or leave the share sheet, return to the map, and place a new pin at the correct point. Check the address or place name in the bottom panel before sharing the replacement. A pin is tied to the point selected at the time you dropped it; it does not automatically adjust to your later position.
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- Get more situational awareness with alerts for school zones, speed changes, sharp curves and more
- View food, fuel and rest areas along your active route, and see upcoming cities and milestones
- View Tripadvisor traveler ratings for top-rated restaurants, hotels and attractions to help you make the most of road trips
- Directory of U.S. national parks simplifies navigation to entrances, visitor centers and landmarks within the parks
You need to send the location through a particular app
After tapping Share, use the system share sheet to choose the messaging or other app you prefer. Google’s mobile procedure does not require a separate Google Maps contact list; the destination app handles the recipient and the final send action.
You expected live tracking
A dropped pin is static. If the person needs to see your changing position, use Google Maps Location Sharing instead and review its sharing settings. Google says that feature can expose recent location and other account or device details depending on configuration, so it is a different privacy choice from sending one pin.
Privacy and practical checks before sending
- Look at the map and the bottom-panel label before pressing Share, especially when the destination is inside a large venue or near multiple entrances.
- Decide whether the recipient needs a one-time point or your changing position. Choose a dropped pin for the former and Location Sharing for the latter.
- If a street address is unclear or absent, send the Plus Code from the location panel on iPhone or iPad so the recipient has a precise text identifier.
- Remember that a computer’s Share or embed map command shares the map view you prepared; it is not the same mobile pin card.
Quick checklist
- Open Google Maps.
- Touch and hold the desired point until the pin drops.
- Tap the place name or address at the bottom.
- Tap Share (or Android’s More if Share is not shown).
- Choose the app and recipient, then send.
For a computer, use Menu → Share or embed map and copy the link or embed HTML. For a precise text-only identifier on iPhone or iPad, tap the Plus Code in the location panel and paste it into a message.
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