For anyone that might have difficulty finding a place in Google Maps, Plus Codes can be a lifesaver. Rather than depend on nearby landmarks or street names, Plus Codes are based on latitude and longitude, and are displayed as a short sequence of numbers and letters that provide far greater accuracy.
Since its launch in 2018, Plus Codes have been adopted at scale by NGOs and governments as it serves the addressing needs of millions of people, and ease the discovery of and navigation to businesses.
Plus Codes is now expanding to eighteen countries across MENA including the UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Morocco, Algeria and more. You’ll be able to tap on any location on Google Maps to get your Plus Code, including for your home. You can then easily share this with others who will be able to accurate navigate to your location via Google Maps.
When saving a ‘Home’ location on Google Maps, users in the 18 countries will see a new “Use your current location” that uses their phone’s location to generate a Plus Code (if the location precision meets minimum thresholds) which they can then use as their Home address. There is also a section at the top of the ‘Saved’ tab to make it easier to retrieve, copy, and share these home addresses. The feature is currently available on Android only, with iOS following soon.
