How to Add a Marker in Google Maps

How to save a location and add a marker for it in Google Maps, both on mobile and on a desktop computer. You can save locations to lists on Google Maps. A color-coded marker that corresponds to these lists appears on Google Maps when you sign in with your account. You can also create a custom map using My Maps using a web browser or the My Maps app on Android. A My Maps app is currently not available for iPhone and iPad, however you can view My Maps created on a web browser using the Google Maps app on iPhone and iPad, or any other device.

Adding a Pin on Mobile

1 Open Google Maps. Tap the Google Maps app icon, which resembles a red location marker on a road map. This will open the map view if you’re signed into maps.
- If prompted, select a Google account and/or sign in before continuing.
2 Find a location on the map. To find a location on the map, you can either scroll to it, or tap the search bar at the top of the app, and type the name of a location or address. This displays the location on the map.
3 Tap and hold the location. This places a large red marker on the location and displays a pop-up menu at the bottom of the app.
4 Tap Save. It’s the third tab at the bottom of the map. It’s next to an icon that resembles a book mark.
5 Tap a list to save the location to. There are three pre-made lists on Google Maps. These include; “Favorites”, “Want to go”, and “Starred places”. Tapping a list saves the location to the list. Locations in each list have color-coded markers that appear on the map.
- To create a new list, tap + New List in the upper-right corner. Type a name for the list on the bar and then tap Create.

Method 2 Adding to Your Places on Mobile

1 Open Google Maps. Tap the Google Maps app icon, which resembles a red location marker on a road map. This will open the map view if you’re signed into maps.
- If prompted, select a Google account and/or sign in before continuing.
2 Tap ☰. It’s the icon with three horizontal lines in the upper-left corner Google Maps. This displays the menu to the left.
3 Tap Your places. It’s the first option in the menu to the left. This displays your various locations.
4 Tap the Saved tab. It’s the second tab at the top of screen. This displays all the saved lists you have.
5 Tap a list. There are a few pre-made lists on under the saved tab, such as “Favorites”, “Starred places”, and “Want to go”. Tap the list you want to add a location to.
- To create a new list, tap the icon with the blue, green, yellow, and red plus (+) sign in the lower-right corner. Then type a name for the map.
6 Tap + Add. It’s the second tab below the list name at the top of the screen.
7 Type the name of a location or an address. This displays a list of search results from Google Maps.
8 Tap the location you want to add. When you see the location you want to add in the search results, tap it to display the details.
9 Tap + Add. It’s the second tab below the details. This adds the location to your map. A marker from this list will appear on your map.

Method 3 Using the Desktop Website

1 Go to https://www.google.com/maps/ in a web browser. This will open the Google Maps webpage in map view.
- If you aren’t signed into Google Maps, click Sign in in the top-right corner of the page, then enter your Google account’s email address and password.
2 Click ☰. It’s in the upper-left corner of the Google Maps website. This displays the menu to the left.
3 Click Your places. It’s about halfway down the menu on the left. It’s next to an icon that resembles a map marker. This displays your saved locations.
4 Click the Saved tab. It’s the second tab at the top of the menu to the left. This displays all the lists of saved locations you have.
5 Click ⋮ to the right of a list name. There are a variety pre-made lists, including “Favorites”, “Want to go”, and “Starred locations”. Click the icon with three dots next to the list you want to add a location marker to. This displays a pop-up menu.
- To create a new list, click the blue icon with the plus sign (+) in the lower-right corner of the menu to the left.
6 Click Edit list. This displays all the locations in the lists with some editing options.
7 Click + Add a place. It’s at the top of the locations list in the menu to the left. This displays a search bar at the top of the list.
8 Type the name of a place or address in the search bar. This displays a list of search results from Google Maps.
9 Click the location you want to add. This adds the location to the lists. The location will appear on the map with a marker that corresponds to the list.