This hidden Google Maps toggle eliminates the worst parts of walking routes

26 Sep 2026, 15:30 by Marvin Velasco · Android Police

Google Maps is my go-to navigation app. Even if it sometimes pales in comparison to Waze, Maps' rich database makes it my ideal driving companion.

For walking, Maps falls short. I discovered in a recent experiment that the app's offline navigation doesn't work while on foot.

That's a deal-breaker during trips abroad. I prefer using offline maps in other countries to avoid spending too much on expensive data roaming plans.

And yet, Maps offers something I can't find on other navigation apps. It starts with Google's detailed location information and continues with an underrated accessibility feature.

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I needed a navigation app that doubles as an itinerary maker

Google Maps fits the bill

I'm planning a trip to Vietnam for my family using Google Maps. It's a surprisingly useful travel planner, thanks to its custom lists and emoji pins.

Creating an itinerary with Google Maps is simple: Save your hotel location, add every destination to a custom list, and use the navigation preview to see how long it would take to get from one location to another.

This lets me build realistic day-to-day itineraries. If two historical sights are close together, I combine them on the same day. If a destination is far from my hotel, I make sure to find top-rated restaurants nearby to save travel time.

While it's easy to use navigation for booking rides, walking navigation is a whole 'nother world.

In my case, I have a toddler in a stroller. This introduces the biggest hurdles for any traveling dad: stairs and steep inclines.

Google Maps makes walking easier for families

All you do is turn on this hidden setting

By default, Google Maps shows the fastest possible routes when you select the walking option. The first route is often the fastest, and the second is the second-fastest.

This default setting doesn't consider how a person would walk. Maps assumes that everyone can walk up stairs, steep inclines, and loaded sidewalks.

To change Maps' mindset, I have to turn on a specific setting:

Enter a destination on the Google Maps app.
Select the Walking tab.
Tap the Settings menu.
Turn on Wheelchair accessible.

I wouldn't have considered it because I'm not a wheelchair user, but the same toggle applies to stroller users and anyone who prioritizes taking the elevator.

After turning on the wheelchair option, Maps no longer offers the fastest walking routes. Instead, it shows only routes with elevators and roller-friendly inclines.

Google emphasizes that its accessibility information isn't always accurate because of real-world conditions. It helps when planning walking routes, but you shouldn't follow it strictly.

Another hidden setting adds more accessibility info

It's not much, though

Google Maps has another accessibility feature that isn't turned on by default. It's buried inside another one of the app's menus.

To reach it, go to Maps' main Settings > App & display and turn on Emphasize accessibility info.

It displays each establishment's accessibility information as soon as you select it. The information includes the business's accessibility for the entrance, restroom, seating, parking, and elevator.

I turned this on during a recent trip to Hong Kong. It helped identify a restaurant's accessibility before I started planning my walking route.

In that situation, the restaurant didn't have an elevator or even an escalator going to the floor it was located on. Walking up the stairs with a toddler in one hand and a large stroller in the other was an instant no-no for me.

Although it's outdated at times, Google's Street View on Maps is another way to check a location's accessibility. At worst, it shows how easily you can enter from street level.

The downside is that this function relies on the business owners updating their establishments' attributes and user reviews calling out errors in the accessibility information.

You can imagine my disgust when finding out that a café I wanted to visit in Singapore couldn't easily be accessed on foot (with a stroller) because of a minor sidewalk rework nearby.

I pushed through with the visit anyway; it wasn't the café's fault, and I could handle the heavy lifting for a short burst.

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Maps can't fix poor urban planning

Google Maps' family-friendly walking routes are great for planning day-to-day itineraries and navigating around the destination. However, it can't predict broken elevators or sidewalks under construction.

Google uses crowdsourced data to continuously update its maps, but it can't tell which on-foot conveniences are inaccessible on certain days.

This is where user reviews come in. Reading comments from recent visitors can warn me of what to avoid in a train station or underground tunnel. Again, crowdsourced information is hit or miss.

This wheelchair accessibility toggle is all I have right now to find the easiest routes for my family and me. It's a shame Google buried it in the secondary menu of Maps.