maps.app.goo.gl Links Explained: What They Are and How to Open Them
Short answer
maps.app.goo.gl links are the short links Google Maps creates when you tap Share. The link itself contains no place name — it redirects to a full google.com/maps address when opened. Paste one into the box below to see the place and get an Apple Maps link for it.
Where these links come from
Tap Share on a place, a pin or a set of directions in the Google Maps app and you get a link like https://maps.app.goo.gl/AbCdEfGh12. Older shares used goo.gl/maps/…. Google retired its general goo.gl shortener in August 2025 but kept the links made by Google Maps' Share button, so most of those still redirect. Both are just short names for a long Google Maps URL.
One lookalike is different: share.google/… links come from Google Search's share button. They point at a page that is drawn by script, with no place name in the address, so they cannot be converted — open the link and share the place from Google Maps instead.
What the link expands to
The short link redirects to one of these.
| After the redirect | What it is |
|---|---|
/maps/place/Name/@52.52,13.40,17z/data=… | A place: the name is in the path, the pin is inside data |
/maps/search/?api=1&query=… | A search for text or coordinates |
/maps/dir/Start/End/… | Directions between two or more stops |
/maps?q=52.52,13.40 | A dropped pin with only coordinates |
Every format is covered in Google Maps URL formats explained.
How to open one
- Any phone or computer: tap it. If the Google Maps app is installed it opens there; otherwise it opens in the browser.
- iPhone without Google Maps: it opens in Safari. To get the place into Apple Maps, convert it below.
- See the full address first: paste the link below; the converter follows the redirect and shows the place before you open anything.
The link opens but shows the wrong place, or nothing
A short link to a place does not expire. A link to a shared list stops working if its owner deletes or un-shares the list, and a link that was copied incompletely — missing its last characters — lands on Google's home page or an error. Ask for the link again, or for the place name. Also see short link not working.
Can I make a short link myself?
Only from inside Google Maps: open the place, tap Share, copy the link. There is no public tool for creating maps.app.goo.gl links by hand.
FAQ
Is maps.app.goo.gl a legitimate Google link?
Yes. It is Google's own domain for short links created by the Share button in Google Maps. Like any short link, you only see where it leads after opening it, so paste it into the converter first if you want to check.
Why does the link not show the place name?
Short links are random identifiers that redirect to the full Google Maps URL. The place name, and sometimes the coordinates, are in that full URL, not in the short link.
Can I open a maps.app.goo.gl link in Apple Maps?
Not directly; Apple Maps does not read Google links. Paste the link into GoToAppleMaps and you get an Apple Maps link to the same place.
What is the difference to a share.google link?
share.google links come from Google Search, not Google Maps. They open a script-drawn page with no place name in the address, so they cannot be converted. Share the place from Google Maps to get a convertible link.