How to Add Notes to Saved Places in Google Maps

How to add notes to saved places in Google Maps

Notes live on places inside a list, so save the place to a list first. Then, on iPhone or iPad, Google's help on lists gives these steps:

Open the Google Maps app and tap You.
Select the list.
Choose the place you want to add a note to.
Tap Add a note about this place, type the note and tap Save.

A note can be up to 4,000 characters, far more than a dish needs. On a computer, open Google Maps and click Saved to see your lists; Google's help says your comment appears in the saved list below the place.

Are notes on Google Maps saved places private?

Your notes are as private as the list. A private list is one that only you can find, view and edit. Once you share a list, anyone with the link can find it, and people who can view it also see who added or edited places and notes, according to Google's help for Android.

So keep personal notes, such as allergies or what your kids will eat, on a private list. If you share a list with friends, write notes you are happy for them to read.

Create a list for places worth revisiting

Open the restaurant in Google Maps and select Save. Choose an existing food list or create one for places you would visit again.

Keep the rule specific. A list called Restaurants can become a warehouse of places you considered, visited or saw in a video. Would order again is clearer: a restaurant joins only after you have eaten something worth repeating.

If you travel often, separate lists by city. Would order again, Chicago is easier to scan than one list containing every restaurant you have visited.

Add enough detail to recognize the dish

Do not write a full review. Add one short note containing:

The menu name, if you know it.
A visible ingredient or preparation detail.
Any change you requested.
Whether you would order it again.

Useful examples:

Short rib with polenta, lemon zest on top, order again.
Green curry, medium spice was right, ask for extra basil.

Menu names can be vague. Six months later, “the pasta” will not help; “wide pasta with mushrooms and crispy breadcrumbs” probably will.

If you shared plates, record who liked what: I liked the eggplant, Sam liked the lamb.

Record modifications that made the order work

Add the exact request:

Burger, no onions, sauce on the side. Medium was more cooked than expected.

This is particularly useful for allergies, dietary restrictions and children’s orders. Keep the wording factual, and never treat a past accommodation as proof that a dish will always be safe. Ingredients and kitchen practices change. Confirm important restrictions with the restaurant every time.

The note helps you ask the right question; it does not replace that conversation.

Use a photo when the menu name is unclear

A photo can preserve the pasta shape, garnish, side dish or presentation when you cannot name those details.

Take one photo and keep it connected to the place. You can add it to Google Maps if you are comfortable sharing it publicly. For a private photo, leave it on your phone and add the date or a visual description to the Maps note:

Orange bowl in photos from Friday, noodles with pork and peanuts.

A photo without a place is hard to identify later. A place without a dish note is equally incomplete. Together they make the order recoverable.

Find the order before you sit down

Open Google Maps while choosing where to eat or travelling to the restaurant, before the server is waiting.

Your saved places are under You in the Google Maps app, where your lists appear, or under Saved on a computer, as Google's help on saved places shows. You need to be signed in to your Google Account. Go to Would order again, select the place and read the note before looking through the current menu. If the dish is still offered, you know what to order. If it has changed, your details help you ask whether something similar is available.

The list also helps when a group cannot choose a restaurant. Every place has already passed a useful test: you ate there and would willingly repeat something.

Know where Google Maps becomes awkward

Google Maps is strong at remembering locations. It becomes less comfortable when you need to search across individual dishes, combine restaurant notes with recipes or save a recommendation without a Maps listing.

Long notes are also difficult to scan. If you record wine, cocktails, service details and several dishes per visit, consider a food journal or general memory tool. You can also send the quick note to Tracy in dEssence and later ask "what did I love at that curry place?" in your own words. For sorting a whole trip's restaurants by city, see how to organize saved restaurants in Google Maps.

Avoid a complicated rating system unless maintaining one is enjoyable. The goal is to recover a decision, not produce restaurant criticism.

Update the note after every visit

Add the new order below the old one. Include dates when they distinguish seasonal or changing menus:

March: short rib with polenta, order again.
June: short rib gone, mushroom pappardelle was good but too rich.
October: short rib returned, still the best choice.

Delete details that no longer help. Keep the history short enough to read while someone else is choosing a table.

Questions people ask next

How much should I write?

Only enough to recognize the dish and repeat any important adjustment.

Should I add my food photo to Google Maps?

Only if you are comfortable sharing it publicly. A private photo can stay on your phone with a date or visual clue in the note.

Should I keep every restaurant?

No. A Would order again list is useful because membership reflects an actual meal worth repeating.

Where are my saved places in Google Maps?

In the app, tap You and pick a list under "Your lists". On a computer, click Saved. Sign in to the same Google Account you saved them with.

How long can a Google Maps note be?

Up to 4,000 characters per place.

Can other people see my notes on Google Maps?

Only if the list is shared. A private list and its notes are visible to you alone. On a shared list, anyone with the link can see the notes.

How to Add Notes to Saved Places in Google Maps (and Remember What You Ordered)