How I use Google Maps to time travel, avoid bad air, and survive zero service

https://www.tomsguide.com/author/david-crookes· Jul 31, 2026 · 11:00 AM UTC ·10 min read · 0 reactions · 0 comments · 12 views

#navigation #technology #travel #health #apps #Google Maps #David Crookes #Tom’s Guide #London #Tokyo #New York #Google

TL;DR · WeSearch summary

The article outlines five lesser‑known Google Maps features that enhance navigation and planning. It explains how historical Street View, Immersive View, air‑quality layers, custom lists, and offline maps can be used in everyday travel. The author, David Crookes, presents step‑by‑step instructions for each tool.

Key facts

▪Google Maps’ Street View includes a timeline that lets users view historical imagery of a location.
▪Immersive View provides a birds‑eye perspective of major cities such as London, Tokyo, and New York when available.
▪The app’s Air Quality layer displays real‑time pollution data with health‑related warnings.
▪Users can create custom lists of places, adding notes and seeing them highlighted on the map.
▪Offline map downloads allow navigation without cellular service, though they require sufficient device storage.

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Tom's Guide · https://www.tomsguide.com/author/david-crookes

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Original publisher	Tom's Guide
Canonical URL	https://www.tomsguide.com/phones/how-i-use-google-maps-to-time-travel-avoid-bad-air-and-survive-zero-service
Publication time	Fri, 31 Jul 2026 11:00:00 +0000
Retrieval time	2026-07-31T11:02:42.550Z
Last seen	2026-07-31T11:02:42.550Z
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Publisher visit	Yes — open original
Substitutes article?	No — link-out required for full text

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Indexing	May the item be indexed (stored, ranked, made findable)?	Allowed
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand

Software Mobile Apps How I use Google Maps to time travel, avoid bad air, and survive zero service How To By David Crookes Published 31 July 2026 5 unsung Google Maps features that saved my rips (and my sanity) When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Shutterstock) Copy link Facebook X Reddit Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Google Maps has become one of life’s essentials thanks to a host of features that make navigation feel effortless. I use it as a matter of routine when I’m driving, even if I know where I’m going — it flags up problems, offers alternative routes, and gives an accurate ETA.

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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Tom's Guide.

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