How to Change Your Home Location in Google Maps
Google Maps uses your saved Home address to power some of its most useful features — instant directions, commute time estimates, and location-aware suggestions. If you've moved, entered the wrong address, or simply never set one up, updating it takes less than a minute. Here's exactly how it works across different platforms, plus what to keep in mind depending on your setup.
Why Your Home Location in Google Maps Matters
When you save a Home label in Google Maps, it becomes a shortcut that the app references automatically. Type "directions home" and Maps already knows the destination. Check your commute on Google Maps' commute feature and it pulls from that saved address. Google Assistant on Android and iOS also uses this label to answer location questions like "How long until I get home?"
This address is stored in your Google Account, not on the device itself — which means it syncs across every device where you're signed in. Change it once and it updates everywhere.
How to Change Your Home Location on Android
- Open the Google Maps app.
- Tap the search bar at the top of the screen.
- Scroll horizontally through the shortcuts below the search bar and tap Home.
- If Home is already saved, tap the three-dot menu (⋮) next to it and select Edit home.
- Type your new address, select it from the suggestions, and tap Save.
Alternatively, you can reach this setting through your profile:
- Tap your profile photo (top right corner).
- Select Settings → Edit home or work.
- Update the address and save.
How to Change Your Home Location on iPhone (iOS)
The steps on iOS mirror Android closely:
- Open Google Maps.
- Tap the search bar.
- Find and tap Home in the row of shortcuts.
- Tap Edit or the three-dot menu next to the saved address.
- Enter your updated address and tap Save.
If you don't see Home in the shortcuts row, it may not be set yet. Tap Add home to create the label from scratch.
How to Change Your Home Location on Desktop (Google Maps Web)
- Go to maps.google.com and make sure you're signed in.
- Click the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines, top left).
- Select Your places.
- Click the Labeled tab.
- Find Home, click the three-dot menu next to it, and choose Edit.
- Search for and confirm your new address.
Changes made on desktop sync to your mobile apps automatically since everything ties to your Google Account.
What If the Home Shortcut Isn't Showing Up? 🗺️
A few things can prevent the Home label from appearing:
- Not signed in: Home shortcuts only appear when you're logged into a Google Account. Guest mode or incognito browsing in Maps will hide them.
- Shortcut row is collapsed: On mobile, the row of shortcuts under the search bar can sometimes require a swipe to reveal more options.
- Home was never saved: If you're a new Google Maps user, the label exists as a prompt ("Add home") rather than a populated shortcut.
The Variables That Affect Your Experience
The core steps above apply broadly, but a few factors shape exactly what you see:
| Variable | How It Affects the Process |
|---|---|
| App version | Older versions of Google Maps may have slightly different menu layouts or label options |
| Google Account type | Personal accounts vs. Google Workspace accounts sometimes have different default settings |
| Device OS version | Very old Android or iOS versions may show a simplified Maps interface |
| Region | Some Maps features, including commute integration, vary by country |
| Multiple Google accounts | If you're signed into more than one account on a device, each has its own saved Home label |
Shared Devices and Multiple Accounts
If multiple people use the same device — or if you're signed into both a personal and work Google Account — it's worth confirming which account is active in Maps when you make the change. Google Maps displays the active account's profile photo in the top right corner. Tapping it lets you switch between accounts before editing saved places.
Changing Home on a shared device only changes it for the account currently signed in — not for every user on that device.
When Directions Still Route to the Old Address
If you update your Home address but Maps still seems to route to the old location, a few things may be happening:
- Cache: The app may need to be closed and reopened for the change to register in active sessions.
- Offline maps: Saved offline map regions don't store your labeled places independently — this shouldn't cause routing issues, but it's worth a full app restart.
- Voice assistant: If Google Assistant or Siri (when used with Google Maps on iOS) is routing incorrectly, their respective home address settings may need updating separately — both Assistant and Siri can store independent location preferences.
Different Users, Different Situations 📍
For someone who just moved and uses Maps heavily for commute tracking, updating this quickly restores accurate travel-time estimates and makes the commute widget functional again. For someone who uses Maps occasionally and primarily searches addresses manually, the Home label may be less critical to daily use.
For households where one phone is shared between family members or where a work device has restricted Google Workspace policies, the process may look slightly different or require account-level permissions.
Whether this is a simple 30-second fix or a slightly more involved account management task depends almost entirely on how your accounts, devices, and Maps settings are currently configured.