To add a pin in the Google Maps app on an iPhone, iPad or Android device, touch and hold an unmarked spot on the map. Open the location card, then choose Save and a list if you want to find it again. On a computer, select a place or search its coordinates, then save it from the details panel.
A dropped pin selects a location; it does not automatically become a saved place. For several locations you want to keep, use a saved list. For a separate map with named markers, use Google My Maps.
Drop and Save a Pin on Your Phone
- Open Google Maps. Pan to the area you need and zoom in enough to distinguish the correct entrance, street or landmark.
- Touch and hold an unmarked spot. A pin appears at the selected point. If you want an existing business instead, search for its name and select the matching result.
- Tap the location’s name or address at the bottom to open its details. Check the position before keeping or sharing it.
- Tap Save, then choose a list in the Google Account you want to use. Finish any confirmation shown. Google’s saved-places instructions cover the account and list controls.
For example, save an unmarked meeting point in a list called “Weekend trip” rather than relying on the selected pin to remain open. If you meant the spot where you are standing, first follow our current-location pin guide to check the blue dot.
Select and Save a Location on a Computer
- Open Google Maps in your browser. Search for a named place or address and select the correct result.
- For an exact point without a useful address, right-click the map there. Click the latitude and longitude at the top of the menu to copy them, then paste that pair into the search box and search. Google documents this in its coordinate guide.
- Check the result’s position, click Save in its details and select a list. Sign in if you need to save it to your account.
This coordinate method lets you choose an exact location even when it has no useful street address. Search for the coordinates as one pair, with latitude first; do not replace the decimal points with commas.
Find Your Saved Pins Again
In the mobile app, open You > Your lists and select the list. On a computer, open Saved, which may be behind Menu. Reopen the saved location to confirm it is the one you intended.
If saved places are absent from the main map, inspect the list’s menu for Show on your map. A hidden list is different from a deleted entry. Google’s list guide also explains sharing and list visibility. Before sharing, check who will be able to view the locations you have included. If a pin you share in Discord opens in a browser on an iPhone, see how to get Discord map links to open in Google Maps.
Use My Maps for a Map With Several Markers
A saved list is useful for keeping places together. If your goal is a separate custom map, open Google My Maps on a computer and create or open a map. Choose Add marker, select a layer, click the point, give it a name and click Save. Repeat for other points. Follow Google’s My Maps marker instructions; those controls belong to My Maps.
To connect your planned visits with directions, use our custom Google Maps route guide. It explains ordinary route stops and a saved My Maps directions layer, which are different from placing markers.
Correct or Remove a Saved Location
If you chose the wrong point, select the correct one and check its details before saving. To remove the old saved entry, open its list, choose More > Edit list and use Remove beside that entry. Check the list afterward. Removing an entry from a list does not delete a public business from Google Maps.
If a place seems missing, check the account and list first. If the pin is selected but you never saved it, select it again and save it. End by reopening the saved entry rather than assuming that seeing a marker proves it was kept.
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read hundreds of millions of times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.