Probably you have heard that the letters received at General Post Office (GPO) are delivered to the recipient based on Google Plus Codes. While having billions of people across the world, how the Google Plus Codes works is interesting. Let’s explore in details!
What is Google Plus Code?
Your address is your identity. With the help of your address you can get utilities facilities, emergency services, bank account opening, social services and etc. In this crowded world having billions of people, it’s difficult to get all the services online using your physical address. Plus Codes is the solution to this problem provided by the Google.
Google Plus Codes is simply a coding system developed by Google Map which is based on geolocation. It is a digital addresses which use simple and free algorithm. As the latitude and longitude of any location points to the exact location of the earth, Plus Codes divide the entire world into small grids. Those grids are further divided into smaller and smaller grids. Each grids are given name mixing some characters with plus (+) sign which is known as ‘Plus Code’.
Let’s understand Plus Code with an example:
1. Plus Code algorithm first divide the entire world into larger blocks called ‘grids’.
2. Larger grid box are further divided into smaller grids. Here each larger and smaller grids are named with combination of characters i.e. letters and digits. The smallest grid is named and separated with the plus (+) sign with the corresponding bigger grids. You can see, 87 and G8 are outer/bigger grids and M2 is smallest grid in this example.
3. When the Plus Code algorithm combine all the larger and smaller grid name it become a Google Plus Codes. Here 87G8+M2 is a unique Google Plus Code which provide the unique digital address to the physical address with extremely high degree of accuracy.
The Google Plus Code is unique and represent exactly the same physical address. With the help of this code the location is identified and any goods or services delivered.
These Google Plus Code are not dependent on any references like road, street number, or house number and thus these codes works everywhere and anywhere.
How can you find your Google Plus Code?
If you wish to receive any goods or services to your location or at your home through online, you need to provide your Google Plus Code to the sender or service provider so that they can find you accurately and deliver goods to you.
To identify your Google Plus Code go to ‘Google Map’ application. If you could not find this application on your smartphone, goto PlayStore if you are using android phone or AppStore if you are using iPhone and download ‘Google Map’, open it and grant permission to access the location (or enable GPS).
Once you open the Google Map, tap on the ‘blue’ button which indicates your current location. Then you can see Google Plus Code of your physical location where you are currently located. Following screenshots illustrate this process.
In the same way, you can find Google Plus Code of any location by tapping the location and sliding up the screen.
Once you identify your Plus Code, you can directly share it to anyone who needs to identify your location for any purpose. For example, your friend can mention it on the envelope of a letter so that General Post Office (GPO) could deliver the letter to you sent by your friend.
Bonus TIPS
If you search this code on google it will give you the exact location of your physical address and this will remain unique to your physical address. Here is the screenshot for your reference:
