Google Maps autocomplete

Orogogus

Google Maps' address bar used to remember addresses that I used in the past, carrying over the list from machine to machine, but now it's uselessly autocompleting with addresses on the other side of the planet. Is there an option to turn this off, or failing that, a maps site that works the way Google Maps used to?

As a side note: This is the second time Google has changed something for the worse (in my opinion) with no warning and no option to opt out as far as I can see. Last time it was the sidebar in Google search results, now this. What gives?

matt has a problem

Are you logged into your Google account?

Orogogus

Ya, pretty much constantly. Is it working correctly for other people, then? That would explain why I could only find one thread on the subject after a quick search.

finalflight89

I just typed something into the Google Maps search box and it came up with both suggestions and already-searched for results, including one from August 8th of last year. I know this because I clicked edit in the suggestion drop down and it gave me a list of my Web History based on my search query.

Personally, I love the suggestion feature. It lets me be lazy and stop typing halfway before I'm done! :P

Tavataar

I have the same problem. I have typed in my street address many times, which starts 7202, and when I do the the first results are for New Zealand, The Netherlands, Austria, Japan, Switzerland, and a bunch more Japan. I am currently signed in (just tried it).

Once I type in the first word of my street it seems to find it.

Kalkino

Tavataar wrote: »

I have the same problem. I have typed in my street address many times, which starts 7202, and when I do the the first results are for New Zealand, The Netherlands, Austria, Japan, Switzerland, and a bunch more Japan. I am currently signed in (just tried it).

Once I type in the first word of my street it seems to find it.

NZ uses a 4 digit post code system. So 7202 would appear to be Blenheim, Marlborough, which is a nice place.

It may amuse you to know that very few people use postcodes in NZ, so Google Maps has loaded a search term that won't really be of much use to locals

Szechuanosaurus

Assuming map search works the same way as regular search there's two issues at play here.

Auto suggest gives you possible searches based on a variety of sources from on-page mentions to previous searches made by all users of google (the exact details of where google gets their autocomplete results from is a secret but observation and experimentation supports at least those two assumptions). These results aren't significantly affected by the individual user, they bear little direct corrollation to previous searches you personally have made. You can however diasable them if you are logged in to you google account - go to preferences and choose 'Do not provide query suggestions in the search box'.

The second issue is saved searches. If you are logged in, google should save previous searches you've made and offer them if you begin a search that matches (I believe it should do this even if you aren't logged in if you are still carrying a cookie). It is possible to turn this on and off and clear recent searches under Save Recent Searches in preferences, so if this function isn't working for you you may need to switch it back on. I would assume if it's been switched off it would also have cleared previously saved searches so you would have to 're-teach' it with your common map searches.

If there are destinations that you need to look up regularly I would be surprised if there isn't a way to bookmark them although I can't check right now.