How to add your calendar events to the Google Maps app
Google's latest update to the Maps app on Android lets you get directions to upcoming Google Calendar events without leaving the app.
Late last week, Google announced a closer integration between two of its very popular services, Maps and Calendar. Events added to your Google Calendar -- either manually or automatically via Gmail -- will be viewable in Google Maps for quick access to directions to your upcoming events.
For now, these updates will only be available within the Google Maps app on Android.
How to view your Google Calendar events in Google Maps
There is no special setup to start using the new feature. Calendar entries will automatically begin to populate within the Google Maps app, so long as they have location data, as will events, reservations and invitations from Gmail.
To view your events in Google Maps, you will first need the latest update for the app, version 9.38.1, which rolled out to most users on September 30. You also need to be signed into Google Maps and Google Calendar with the same Google account, and you must have Web & App Activity turned on in Google Maps settings. To ensure this is on, open Google Maps, go to Settings > Personal content. If under App history it reads Web & App Activity is on, the feature is already enabled. If not, tap to open the menu and tap the toggle switch to enable it.
Once some calendar entries with location data have been added to your calendar, give Maps some time to populate the data. Then, you can view the entries in a few different ways.
Your places
The most direct way is to tap the hamburger button in the upper left corner of the Google Maps app to expand the side navigation panel. Tap Your places and tap the UPCOMING tab. This tab shows all the events that have been populated into Google Maps from both Gmail and your Google Calendar. Tapping on any of the entries will take you to the pin drop in the map view so you can quickly get directions and navigate to the event.
Map view
Alternatively, you can locate events in the map view simply by scrolling and panning around. Events will be denoted by the name of the location (not the event name) and the time and date of the event.
Search
You can also find events by searching for things like my reservations or my flights within the Google Maps app.
Directions
Events will also appear in Directions. Just open the Google Maps app and tap the blue Directions button (the blue circle with a white diamond and rightward facing arrow in the middle) in the lower right corner. Not all events will appear here, only those happening soon.
How to opt out
If an event is showing in Maps and you don't want it to, you can easily hide it.
Go to Your places and tap to open the UPCOMING tab. Tap the action overflow button to the right of any event and select Dismiss to hide it.
If for any reason you don't want Google Maps to show your calendar entries at all, you can opt out of the feature altogether by opening the Google Maps app and going to Settings > Personal content > Web & App Activity is on and toggling the feature off.
Get directions to events without the update
If this integration doesn't sound entirely new, that's because it isn't. Calendar entries have appeared in other places -- such as Google Now (and you notification shade) -- for years now. If the new Maps integration isn't working for you yet, you have another option.
Events happening in the near future should appear under the Upcoming section of the Google app and in your notifications. If your events have a location set, Google will tell you when you need to leave to make it to the event on time.
Event cards in the Google app also provides a dropdown menu to allow you to select your transportation method, your starting location and how early you want to arrive. After you've made your selection, tapping in the area that tells you when you should leave will open navigation to the event.