How to Drop a Custom Pin and Share a Location in Google Maps

The Limitation of Address-Based Navigation

Google Maps is incredibly reliable when you need directions to a registered business, a residential address, or a famous landmark. You simply type the name into the search bar, and the app plots a route directly to the front door.

However, real life often requires you to meet people in places that do not have a formal street address. If you are meeting friends in the middle of a massive public park, trying to locate a specific campsite in a national forest, or pulling over on the side of an unnamed highway because your car broke down, searching for an address is entirely useless.

In these situations, you need to use a custom pin. Dropping a custom pin allows you to select a highly specific GPS coordinate on the map—down to the exact meter—and immediately share that precise location with anyone via text message, email, or WhatsApp.

How to Drop a Custom Pin on Mobile (iOS and Android)

The process for dropping a pin is identical whether you are using the Google Maps app on an Apple iPhone or a Samsung Galaxy.

1. Open the Google Maps app on your smartphone.
2. Ensure your GPS location is accurate by tapping the compass/crosshairs icon in the bottom right corner. (This will centre the map on your current location).
3. Use two fingers to pinch and zoom in on the map as close as possible to the exact spot you want to mark. The closer you zoom in, the more accurate the pin will be.
4. Tap and hold your finger on the screen exactly where you want the pin to go. Do not tap quickly; you must hold your finger down for about two seconds.
5. A small vibration will occur, and a red marker (the pin) will drop onto the map under your finger.
6. A white menu panel will slide up from the bottom of the screen. The title of the panel will usually say “Dropped pin” and will display the GPS coordinates (e.g., 34.0522° N, 118.2437° W) or a rough description of the nearby area.

How to Share the Custom Pin

Once the pin is dropped and the white menu panel is visible at the bottom of your screen, sharing that exact spot is incredibly easy.

1. Look at the white menu panel at the bottom of the screen.
2. You will see a row of circular buttons (Directions, Save, Label, Share).
3. Tap the Share button.
4. Your phone’s standard sharing menu will appear. You can now select a recent contact to send it directly via SMS, or you can select an app like WhatsApp, Slack, or Gmail.
5. Alternatively, you can tap Copy Link. This allows you to manually paste the link into any chat window or social media post.

When the recipient clicks the link you send them, Google Maps will automatically open on their device with the red pin perfectly placed at your exact coordinates, allowing them to instantly request directions to your spot.

How to Drop a Custom Pin on a Desktop Computer

If you are planning an event from your computer and want to send the location of a specific parking lot entrance to your guests, you can drop a pin using the web browser version of Google Maps.

1. Go to maps.google.com in your web browser.
2. Zoom in on the map to the specific location.
3. Click once on the exact spot where you want the pin. (Do not click on an existing business icon; click on a blank space, road, or terrain).
4. A small grey pin will appear on the map, and an information box will pop up at the very bottom of the screen displaying the GPS coordinates.
5. Click on the GPS coordinates (the blue numbers) inside that bottom box.
6. The left-hand sidebar will update to show the precise location.
7. Click the Share icon (it looks like three connected dots) in the left sidebar.
8. Click Copy link and send it to your guests.