While Google Maps is arguably the best navigation app out there, it still has its fair share of problems. One such annoying problem is when the Google Maps screen turns upside down all of a sudden. This can be frustrating, to say the least, and could potentially throw you off while driving. Fortunately, there’re some quick and easy fixes available that can help with the problem. And today we’ll go through them one by one. So, let’s get started.
Also Read: How to Create a Heat Map Using Google Maps Data
Fixing Google Maps Upside Down
1. Tap on North Icon
Google Maps also displays a handy compass while navigating so that you can know which direction you are heading to. So, if the map on your screen is upside down, then you can try tapping on the Compass icon in the upper right corner of the screen to see if that fixes it.
2. Turn Off Power Saver
Battery savers are probably the biggest enemy of the apps on your phone and can restrict them from running smoothly. Lack of resources can cause the apps to behave strangely causing issues such as an upside-down screen while navigating.
To resolve that, you can try turning off battery savers on your phone to make sure that the app can run to its full potential.
Android
To turn off the power saver on Android, open the Settings app on your phone and navigate to Battery. Now turn off the battery saver mode.
iPhone
To turn off the battery saver on iPhone, open Settings. Go to Battery and turn off Low Power Mode.
3. Enable Auto-Rotate
If you’re unable to fix the Google Maps upside-down screen despite your best efforts, then it might be due to locked screen rotation on your phone. When auto-rotate is disabled, your phone’s screen locks itself in a particular orientation, ultimately presenting the upside-down screen while navigating.
Thus, you can try enabling the auto-rotation on your phone to see if that helps. You can enable it on Android by bringing down the Quick Settings panel and tapping on the Auto-rotate option.
Likewise, iPhone users can also disable portrait orientation lock from the Control Center. To do that, swipe down from the top right corner of the screen and tap on the Rotation Lock button. The screen will display a message that reads Portrait Orientation Lock: Off.
4. Enable Location Accuracy
Enabling high accuracy mode in the location settings helps Google Maps identify your location as accurately as possible. While most people keep it disabled in order to save data and battery, it’s crucial for apps like Google Maps to work flawlessly.
Android
1. Open the Settings app on your phone and tap on Location.
2. Expand the Advanced menu and tap on Google Location Accuracy. Toggle on the switch next to Improve Location Accuracy.
iPhone
1. Open Settings and go to Privacy > Location Services.
2. Now find the Google Maps app from the list and toggle on the Precise Location option.
5. Calibrate Compass
Google Maps uses sensors on your phone to determine your location as precisely as possible. If enabling high accuracy mode doesn’t help, you can try recalibrating the compass in the Google Maps app. Here’s how.
1. Launch the Google Maps app on your Android or iPhone and tap on the blue dot in the center showing your current location.
2. Now tap on the Calibrate option and follow the on-screen instruction to make the figure 8 with your phone.
Now go ahead and use the Google Maps navigation to see the issue is resolved.
6. Restart Phone
Restarting your phone closes all the apps and services running on your phone. It is the ultimate troubleshooting method that can fix small bugs here and there. So, if the above methods fail, you can try rebooting your Android or iPhone to see if that helps with the issue.
7. Clear App Cache
Apps on our phones tend to collect a significant amount of cache data as we continue to use them. This cache data can also get corrupted sometimes. Thus, it’s recommended that you periodically remove this cache data to make sure it doesn’t affect its performance. Read on to learn how.
1. Open Settings on your phone and go to Apps and notifications. From the list, find the Google Maps app.
2. Next, go to Storage and cache and tap on the Clear cache option.
8. Reinstall App
If all else fails, uninstalling and reinstalling the app may well be your last option. Doing this will wipe any corrupted data associated with the app and will also update the app to the latest version available in the process.
FAQs
How do I rotate Google Maps?
You can rotate the Map simply by placing two fingers on your screen and rotate it in your preferred direction.
How do I make Google Maps not Face North?
You can fix the position of the North direction in Google Maps so that the orientation of the map stays locked. Here’s how.
1. To do that, tap on your profile icon in the upper right corner and go to Settings.
2. In there, go to Navigation settings. Scroll down and toggle on the switch next to Keep map north up.
Does Google Maps Work in Landscape Mode?
Yes, if you’ve enabled auto-rotation on your phone, you can also use Google Maps in the landscape mode.
Wrap Up: Google Maps Upside Down Issue
Google Maps’ upside-down problem can be quite annoying, especially when you are driving and trying to figure out where to turn next. Hopefully, one of the above-mentioned solutions worked out and you’re able to navigate smoothly. If the problem persists, you can either wait for Google to fix it via an update or switch to the next best alternative Waze.
Also Read: Use Google Maps’ Plus Codes to Share Your Location Easily
