Format samples

A12a Photo formats used on Google Maps

Quite a few local guides still believe

It is okay to upload photos in portrait format
It's best to upload images to Google Maps in the standard 4:3-format and avoid cropping images.

Such recommendations can still be found online.

This collection of 16 formats used on Google Maps can hopefully convince you that the wider landscape formats are used a lot. And therefore you should always use Landscape and not Portrait when shooting for Google Maps. This is to prevent having your images ruined by Google Maps' automatic cropping of portrait photos to wider formats.

Cropped images can easily become cover pics. Trust me.

This image was selected for this overview of formats use on Google Maps on Android, IOS, and Desktop.

The original image is 3464 pixels wide and 4618 pixels tall. This is in standard portrait format 3:4 = 33% taller than wide.

No cropping was done to this image before uploading it to Google Maps.

Android formats

This is how the standard listing format looks like. It is exactly the square format where width = height.

Here the store name is perfectly visible.

This is how places are presented on Android after a text search on the map.

This format is 130% wider than it is tall.

Note how the store name is not visible in the frame.

Here is one more way cover pics are cropped automatically on Android.

This format is 77% wider than tall.

Again the store name is not visible.

This is the "At this address"-format used on Android

33% wider than tall (4:3)

Here the store name is partly visible.

I noticed that Google is using my image when suggesting promoting a list of Copenhagen Baby stores.

This format is square, and the store name is shown.

Here is how the image is shown on your list of most viewed photos.

This format is 135% wider than tall.

The store name is not visible in the frame.

IOS formats

This is the normal IOS listing of a place.

The format used here is the square format 1:1.

The store name is visible in this format.

If you select a pin this image is shown in the lower part of your IOS device.

This format is 5 times wider than it is tall.

The store name is not even close to being visible.

This format is used in the list of lists on IOS.

3.6 times wider than it is tall.

Again the store name is outside this auto-crop.

This is how search results are presented on IOS.

This format is 13% wider than it is tall.

The store name easily visible.

This is the format used in your list of contributions on IOS.

These images are 4.8 times wider than tall.

Since the IOS app does not allow sort according to the number of views, this image is not from the same store. But trust me, the store name will not be visible.

Desktop formats

This is the standard view on Desktop.

The format used here is 70% wider than it's height.

Even without the white search field, the store name would not be fully visible in the frame.

This is how the shop is presented when you hover the mouse over a pin on the map. Then this format pops up.

This format is 2.5 times wider than the height.

The store name is not visible.

When searching for an address a list of places "At this location" shows up.

This format is almost like the original image, although not quite as tall.

The Store name is shown in this format.

The same format is used on lists.

Finally, on the list of Your Contributions on PC, this strange format is used.

This format is not as wide as the original image. Instead, it is 20% slimmer than the original. Compared to the original 10% of the image is missing on both sides.

Click/tap your browser's Back button or hit "Suggested next page" to see the Exceptions of the Framing Rules. Beat it!

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