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Google Cell Phone Directions
Posted May 29, 2007 at 04:50 AM
Updated May 29, 2007 at 01:49 PM

Compliments of the ever popular online search engine Google, a lesser-known directory assistance is available over your phone… one that can provide text messaging directions to you.. and the best part… it’s free.

Here is how it works. First, using your cell phone, send a text message to “46645” or “google” without the last “e”. In the body of the text type the starting point of your trip as specifically as possible. If you are unfamilar with your location, choose the nearest house or business address. Then type “to” followed by your ending point. For example, we entered our randomly choosen house address, then typed “to” and the address for our news station.

In just under two minutes google replied with a text message that included detailed directions, mileage and an estimated travel time. We followed the route successfully back to our station.

And if you want to text Google for directions, here are a couple of tips:

- First, to avoid confusion use a specific house or business address including the city and state or a major point of interest you are familiar with such as “200 S Parker St Tampa to Tampa Airport”.

Secondly, in several of our tries, the directions were a bit lengthy and required multiple text messages. The messages are labeled, for example 1/4 or 2/4, but they were not always received in order… so make sure you are reading the correct one.

This free Google service also offers a variety of other information over your phone including airline information, currency and language translations and movie listings. Below are list of suggested formats for various information:

Search Features - Example
Local Listings - sushi 94040
Weather - weather NYC
flight updates - LH454 or AA 2111
Airline information - lakers
Movies - the departed 94110
Stock Quotes - tgt
Glossary - define zenith
Translation - translate hello in french
Driving Directions - pasadena CA to 94043
Web Snippets - g hubble telescope
Q&A - abraham lincoln birthday
Calculator - 1 US pint in liters
Currency Conversion - 8 usd in yen

Send Us Your Comments

Posted by Georg Oehl, Clearwater on 06/12 at 09:12 AM

Unfortunately, this service is unreachable for T-Mobile “To Go” (prepaid) users. I just tried and got a message back that “...this service is not available with your plan...”

Posted by Sophie Smith, Oldsmar on 06/01 at 06:14 AM

I love this service, I tried it the other day in the car-line and it worked… nice to know just in case.

Posted by Chris Carter, Tampa on 06/01 at 06:11 AM

Great advice… and hey, I know where that house is… hehehe. I tried the translation service too and it worked.

Posted by joe schmo, FL on 05/29 at 11:03 AM

Cool beans. Hopefully, they will work out the problem with the pages not arriving in order sometime in the future. If you are familiar with the area, it’s not too much of a problem, but if you aren’t, it’s very difficult to use.

Posted by Rosita Emakpo, Tampa on 05/29 at 07:07 AM

Thanks I used the free service and it worked well for me! Great tip