Google Maps uses labels to show points of interest such as restaurants, shopping centers, and parks. They also serve as informational hubs for hours, directions, and reviews. You can even create your own labels for work, home, or your favorite places. Usually these labels are pretty useful, but what if you want to view only the map without them? Luckily, it is possible to remove labels from Google Maps but you might have to use Google’s My Maps depending on what you’re looking for.
How to Remove Labels from Google Maps
The easiest way to remove labels from Google Maps is to simply switch over to satellite view and turn off labels directly in Google Maps. Unfortunately this option doesn’t exist for map view, but there is another way that we’ll cover in the next section below.
Open maps.google.com in your browser and click the Menu icon (
) at the upper left.
Click Satellite at the top of the menu to change to satellite view.
Click the same Menu icon again and click Labels on under Satellite to toggle them off.
Removing Labels from Google Maps in Map View
To see a map without labels in map view, you’ll have to create your own map in Google My Maps. It’s a lot easier than that sounds and can actually be done in only a few clicks – here’s how.
You’ll have to sign into your Google account to use My Maps so make sure you’re already signed in or do so when prompted.
Open mymaps.google.com in your browser and click the Create a new map button at the upper left.
At the bottom of the Untitled map box, click the arrow next to Base map and select either Light Political or Mono City.
You can save your new map by clicking Untitled map and clicking the Save button.
You can even share, export, download, print, or embed this new map by clicking the 3 dots next to the name and selecting the option you want.
How to Delete Custom Labels in Google Maps
If you’re only here to find out how to remove custom labels that you’ve created – then don’t worry we’ve got you there too.
Desktop
Open maps.google.com in your browser and click the Menu icon () at the upper left.
Click Your places near the bottom of the menu.
Under Labeled click the X next to the label you wish to delete. Check the Saved tab for other labels you might want to delete.
Mobile
Open the Google Maps app and tap the Saved button at the bottom.
Tap Labeled (or wherever you labels are saved) under Your lists.
Tap the 3 dots next to the label you wish to remove and tap Remove (label name).
Aaaaaaand one month after this solution was posted, the ****** have gone in and stuffed the basemap full of labels too.
Changing the base map to Light Political or Mono City still removes labels. I wish there was a better solution but for now this is all we have.
Clunky, sluggish, dumbed down tabletized GARBAGE! every ‘update’ or ‘redesign’ google introduce absolutely SUCKS!!!!
This sucks. If you remove labels you remove the street names!
Try: Simple Atlas
^ THIS ^