Adding maps to your blog posts using screenshots

I really like the daily maps that Google makes of my whereabouts. It’s called my Timeline and it’s all done automatically as long as I have location services turned on. We took a cruise around Manhattan, and I think the timeline map will add a lot to my story. Don’t you agree?

Any map (or anything at all!) that you can see on your phone, or on your computer, can be captured as an image. Then it can be used in your Blog, just like any other picture.

To take a screenshot on a cellphone:

1. View the screen you want to capture
2. Phones with a physical home button: press and hold power button and home button at the same time, then let go
3. Phones without a physical home button: press and hold power button and down volume button at same time, then let go
4. You should hear a click and see a blink on your screen to indicate it has been captured
5. Now go look in your photos/gallery app and you will see the screenshot along with your photos
   If you’re using Google Photos on Android, be sure the Screenshot folder is checked in Menu, Device Folders
6. See this demonstrated as our tip of the week on our weekly show #81 about Location Services Here’s the part on
   How to take a screenshot
   

To take a screenshot – of part of the screen – on a computer

1. View the screen that includes a part you want to capture
2. Windows: launch the Snipping Tool app (Start, Snipping, Enter)
   click New, then drag a rectangle around the portion of the screen you want to capture
   click File, Save As to save your picture in the My Pictures folder (or wherever you want)
3. Mac: Command-Shift-4 – you should see a crosshairs on the screen
   Use the crosshair to drag a rectangle around the part you want to capture
   When you let go, you’ll hear a click and the image file, a .png, will be saved on your desktop

Instructions above use techniques built in to the computer’s operating system. To get more functionality with your screen captures, we recommend Snagit.

Use Screenshot in a Blog Post

You can now use the captured image like any other photo. For example, if you use Blogger, you can insert the camera screenshot

1. Click the Insert image button
2. If you’re using Google Photos: choose “From my phone,” Select the desired screenshot, Add Selected
3. If you’re not using Google Photos, the image will need to be on your computer, then choose Upload to get it, select it and Add Selected

Example: Here’s a blog post of mine using a computer screen capture of Google Maps in Satellite view. Click on the image below to go to the Blog post and see the whole thing, including 2 maps.