Google Plus Codes
Google first created plus codes back in 2014. The free-to-use geocoding system formally known as Open Location Code was added to Google Maps in 2015. Now, Google has brought the system to its Indian users.
If you frequently use Google Maps, you might have seen some random code written on the description pages of different locations. These are known as Plus Codes, and they are designed to make our lives easier.
Plus Codes provide an easy way to identify almost any place that exists on the earth, irrespective of the country or region. It is so because the open location code system is based on the existing latitude and longitude system which uses a grid to divide areas into small tiles forming a grid. A unique code is assigned to each of the tiles.
Remembering the plus code for an area is much simpler than burning your brain circuits while recalling the satellite coordinates. A complete plus code (also referred as global code) contains ten characters in total, with a ‘+’ character before the last two characters. Now, you might have guessed why it’s called a ‘plus code.’
For a given plus code, the first four characters narrow down the area search to a grid of around 100 x 100 kilometers. The remaining 6-character code can help a person pin down to your exact location. It describes the area roughly of the size of a half basketball court, around 14 x 14 meters. An additional accuracy of up to 3 x 3 meters can be achieved.
You don’t need to use the first four digits of a plus code if you’re not searching an international location or someplace far off. The local code in such cases is combined with nearest city or town to make it simpler. For instance, if the place you want to find is a few kilometers away from London, you can use the local code of that place together with the city’s name, i.e. London.
Why Plus Code?
Other than making things more comfortable, there are many benefits offered by plus codes. For instance, an active internet connection isn’t required while encoding and decoding plus codes. So, you can find a place even when you’re running offline mode.
Also, plus codes are not limited to computers and internet. A plus code grid can be printed on a paper and used without the need for an electronic device.
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