Unlocking Google’s Hidden Maps

Google's My Maps is a free tool that allows users to create custom maps. It's particularly useful for planning trips, visualizing geographic data, or sharing directions and locations with others.

Given the popularity of My Maps, there are likely millions of maps containing valuable local knowledge created by users around the world. Unfortunately, Google does not provide a centralized directory or searchable index of all public My Maps. While some public maps are technically indexed by Google, they are not easily discoverable through standard search methods.

This is where mapShare steps in - to fill in what the developers believe is a major gap. mapShare is a new platform designed to help users share and discover custom Google Maps. It acts as a community-powered discovery engine for My Maps, allowing users to tap into the vast but often hidden world of public custom maps.

🔍 Search by Location or Subject

You can use mapShare to search for maps based on either geographic location or topic. Whether you're looking for coffee shop guides in Tokyo, historical walking tours of Edinburgh, or national park maps in the U.S., mapShare makes it much easier to uncover useful and relevant maps created by Google's My Maps users.

📂Create and Curate Lists

Found a bunch of amazing maps about cycling in Europe or vegan eats in New York? With mapShare, you can create your own lists of favorite maps, organized however you like. These lists become personal libraries of curated knowledge - ideal for trip planning, research, or just collecting inspiration.

👥 Share With Friends and Family

Planning a group trip? Exploring your city with a partner? With mapShare, you can share your map lists with others, via a direct link or through social media, making it easy to collaborate or simply pass along helpful info.

Drawbacks

At the moment, when I search my neighborhood on mapShare, I’m met with a "results not found" message. This highlights one of the current drawbacks of relying on the crowd to curate Google’s My Maps. As an early adopter of mapShare, you may also encounter gaps in coverage - gaps that will only begin to close as the platform gains more users and contributions.