I cover Android with a focus on productivity, automation, and Google’s ecosystem, including Gemini and everyday apps. With a background in engineering and software development, I tend to go beyond surface-level tips.
Before joining AP, I wrote for tech publications such as Gizbot in 2023 and iJunkie (formerly known as iPhoneHacks) from 2021 to 2022.
I use Google Maps all the time, but mostly to find a place, check the route, and follow directions. However, I recently discovered it can also help me find my way around when I'm inside a building.
Google Maps includes floor plans for select malls, airports, and other large venues, which help me locate shops, entrances, and other points of interest without wandering around.
It's easy to overlook, yet surprisingly useful when I need to find a specific place in an unfamiliar building.
How to find indoor maps in Google Maps
This feature is hiding in plain sight
It is easy to miss the indoor maps feature in Google Maps if you do not know where to look. Open Google Maps on your phone, search for a supported location such as a shopping mall or airport, and zoom in on the building until its indoor floor plan appears.
Google automatically displays these layouts for venues with indoor mapping data. Instead of the usual map view, you should see a more detailed layout with labeled shops, facilities, and other points of interest.
If the building has multiple floors, look for the small floor selector, which displays level numbers such as 1, 2, or 3. Tap a number to switch to that floor and explore its layout.
You can also tap labeled locations to learn more or search for a destination inside the building, just as you would for any place in Google Maps.
The catch is that indoor maps aren't available for every building. If zooming in does not reveal a floor plan, the venue might not have a supported indoor map.
I find it worth checking before visiting a large, unfamiliar mall or airport, especially when I'm looking for a specific store, gate, or facility.
The floor selector makes indoor maps more useful
Explore buildings one floor at a time
The real magic of Google Maps' indoor maps is the little floor selector that appears when you zoom into a supported multilevel building.
You can switch between floors and see each level's layout individually. On Android, the selector appears in the lower-left corner; on desktop, it appears in the lower-right corner.
Imagine looking for a particular store in a mall. The regular map shows you where the building is, but the indoor map helps you figure out which level the store is on and what else is nearby.
The same idea applies at airports, where finding a facility or gate gets simpler when you can inspect the relevant floor rather than relying entirely on signs and directories.
Google Maps can also display labeled points of interest, such as shops, restrooms, and ATMs.
There's another way to explore the inside
Take a virtual tour
Floor plans are handy when I know where I want to go, but sometimes I want to see what a place looks like before visiting. Google Maps offers indoor 360-degree photos that let me virtually look around select shops, airports, hotels, and other venues.
To try it, search for a place in Google Maps and open its listing. Scroll through the photos and look for a 360-degree image marked with the Street View icon.
Tapping lets you look around the interior. Use the on-screen arrows to move forward or backward, and swipe to change direction. It's a handy way to get a feel for a venue's layout before I arrive, especially when I'm unfamiliar with the place.
Why you won't find indoor maps in every building
The feature works only in select locations
As useful as Google Maps' indoor maps are, there's one limitation: not every mall, airport, or large building has a floor plan available.
Google displays indoor layouts only for supported locations, so zooming in on a building won't always show the feature. The level of detail may vary based on available information for that venue.
If the floor selector doesn't appear when you zoom in, the building might not have an indoor map. Even when a floor plan is available, you may not find every shop or facility labeled there.
The same caveat applies to indoor 360-degree photos. Google Maps lets me explore the interiors of select shops, hotels, and other venues, but those photos aren't available everywhere either.
Google Maps has more to offer after you reach your destination
Whether I am trying to find a store in a sprawling mall or get my bearings in an unfamiliar airport, having a floor plan on my phone can save me time and unnecessary wandering.
I can even explore available 360-degree photos to get a better sense of what a place looks like before visiting.
The feature isn't available in every building, and the level of detail varies, but it is worth checking the next time you're heading somewhere unfamiliar.