Found the perfect backstreet secondhand store? Always struggle to remember which bus stop is closest to a friend's house? Maybe you just want to keep a record of places you visited on holiday. Google Maps' Save feature is here to help out.

It's been possible to "star" a Maps location for many years, but Google continues to make minor improvements from time to time. You can now create custom lists of places, control their public visibility, and even attach notes to places.

How to Save a Place on Google Maps for Desktop

The easiest way to save a map location is by saving it to your Starred places list. Here's how to do this:

  1. Hover over a marked business or place, and wait until the information popup appears.
  2. Click the Save icon, which looks like a bookmark.
    A screenshot of Google Maps showing how to save a place
  3. The location will automatically save in your Starred places folder.

You can save a spot even if it isn't a recognized place. To do so, drop a pin on the map, click on the panel that appears, and then follow the same process as above.

Google Maps provides three default lists: Favorites, Want to go, and Starred places. You cannot delete these default lists. The Starred places list is a little different from the others since you cannot share it publicly.

You can also create custom lists and name them however you want. The default lists have distinct icons which define what their places' pins look like.

Here's how to save a map location to a different list (or a new list):

  1. Click on a place of interest on the map. This opens a scrollable side panel with lots of relevant information.
  2. Click the Save button near the top. Again, this button is a familiar bookmark icon.
  3. Select your preferred list or create a new list via the New list option at the bottom.

How to View Your Lists of Saved Places

If you want to view a list that you've already made, follow these steps:

  1. Open the hamburger menu in the top-left corner of the screen, and select Your places.
  2. Click on the Saved tab. You will see all your lists here.
    View saved lists on Maps
  3. Click on a list to view its places, alongside any notes you've added.

How to Add a Note to a Saved Place

You can add a short note to a saved place for later use. You can also use this to share information with others.

  1. Click a saved place on the map to bring up the side panel.
  2. In the side panel, click Edit note.
  3. Enter your text, and then click Done.
    A screenshot of Google Maps showing a note for a saved place

How to Toggle Saved Places on a Map

One of the most useful aspects of place lists is the ability to toggle them independently. You could use this feature to compare the spread of certain locations, or even to find nearby places from several lists.

  1. Click the hamburger menu in the top-left corner of the screen, and select Your places. Then, click the Saved tab.
  2. Open the More options menu alongside your required list. The icon looks like three vertical dots.
  3. Choose Hide on your map/Show on your map.
    A screenshot of Google Maps showing how to hide saved places

How to Share a List

If you want to share a list of saved places with friends or family members, here's how to do that:

  1. Click the hamburger menu in the top left corner of the screen, and select Your places. Then, click the Saved tab.
  2. Open the More options menu alongside your required list.
  3. Click Share list.
    Share list on Google Maps

You can make a list private, share it with a link, or make it completely public. The dialog explains these options further when you select each of them.

How to Manage Places on Mobile

On mobile, most of the same principles apply as they do on desktop. You can save a place by selecting it and pressing the Save button at the bottom of the screen. Here, you can select multiple lists at once, if required.

Without selecting a location, you can use the Saved button at the bottom of your screen to access lists. You can share and hide lists in much the same way as you do on desktop.

Read More: Google Maps for Android Tricks That'll Change How You Navigate

Organize Destinations Using Saved Places

Saved places are the digital equivalent of sticking pins in a map on your wall. You can explore the map from planet level, all the way down to your local neighborhood. You can easily attach notes, and you can hide pins with the click of a mouse.

Apparently, you can save up to 500 separate places in each list. With custom lists, however, you're unlikely to need more than this in any one list.