Google Maps can now scan your iPhone screenshots to save locations automatically

Google Maps

Google Maps just got a lot smarter for iPhone users. To make saving interesting places much easier, Google has rolled out a new feature that scans your screenshots and pulls out location details—like names or addresses—so you don’t have to.

Let’s say you spot a cool cafe or a must-visit destination while scrolling through social media. Instead of taking a screenshot and later trying to remember the name or search for it again on Maps, Google Maps will now do the work for you. Using its Gemini AI, the app can detect any place-related info in your screenshots and give you the option to save those spots right away.

To try it out, just make sure you’ve updated Google Maps to the latest version. Then, go to the “You” tab in the app. You’ll notice a new private list called “Screenshots,” where a short demo will walk you through how it works.

Here’s how it goes: when you take a screenshot that includes a location—say a restaurant name and address—Google Maps will automatically spot it. A review screen will pop up, showing you what it found. You can choose to save it or skip it. The saved places go into your new “Screenshots” list, and you can always move them to other lists if you want.

The best part? If you allow Maps access to all your photos, it can auto-scan your new screenshots and show you a handy carousel of locations to review. Prefer doing things manually? No problem—you can still browse your gallery and pick screenshots to scan.

There’s also a clear button that lets you easily turn this feature on or off at any time.

This update is especially handy for people who often use screenshots as reminders. With Maps now handling the heavy lifting, discovering and saving new places just got a whole lot smoother.