Chapter 114: Icons Places
What is Google Places Icons
Let me explain this very slowly, very clearly, and very honestly — like a patient teacher who wants you to really understand the full picture and never be confused again.
Short & truthful answer first (write this down)
There is no official icon set called “Google Places Icons” in 2026.
Google does not publish, distribute, or officially name any public library / icon pack / asset collection as:
- Google Places Icons
- Google Places Marker Icons
- Google Places POI Icons
- Google Places Category Icons
- Google Places Design Icons
There is no downloadable “Google Places Icons” package, no NPM package, no Google Fonts link, no CDN, and no Figma community file officially released by Google under that name.
So when people search or ask for “Google Places Icons” (especially in 2025–2026), they are almost always making one of these six very common mix-ups:
- They mean Material Symbols (Google’s official icon library) and are looking for icons that are visually similar to the ones used inside Google Maps / Google Places (restaurant 🍴, hotel 🏨, gas station ⛽, ATM 🏧, hospital 🏥, park 🌳, etc.).
- They want the category / POI (Point of Interest) icons that appear on Google Maps when you search for “restaurants near me”, “hotels in Goa”, “gas stations”, etc. — and think Google provides them as a separate downloadable icon pack (they don’t).
- They are thinking of the default red location pin (the famous teardrop marker) and believe Google offers it as a standalone “Places icon” (they don’t — it’s part of the Maps rendering engine).
- They saw someone use the phrase “Google Places icons” in a tutorial, blog post, Stack Overflow answer, Reddit thread, Figma file, or design hand-off and thought it was an official product name (it isn’t — it’s just a descriptive term).
- They are looking for third-party icon packs (free or paid) that try to copy the Google Maps Places / POI look (flat category icons for food, lodging, shopping, etc.).
- They want the custom icons / symbols that can be used inside the Google Maps JavaScript API or Places API markers (custom markers, category icons, place types) — but again, Google does not provide a ready-made “Places Icons” set for this.
Bottom line (very important):
There is no separate “Google Places Icons” library released by Google. The closest thing you can use is Material Symbols — Google’s official icon library — which contains many icons that are visually very close (and in many cases identical) to what you see in Google Maps / Google Places category markers.
2. What icons does Google actually use inside Google Maps / Google Places? (2026 reality)
Google Maps / Google Places uses three different kinds of visuals for its place/category icons:
| Type | Where you see it | Can you download/use them separately? | Source / how Google creates them |
|---|---|---|---|
| Default location marker pin | Every place / search result / saved location | No | Internal rendering engine (Maps JavaScript API) |
| Category / POI icons | Restaurant 🍔, hotel 🏨, gas ⛽, ATM 🏧, hospital 🏥, etc. | Partially (very similar in Material Symbols) | Material Symbols + small internal custom tweaks |
| UI controls & buttons | Directions, layers, zoom, my location, etc. | Yes | Material Symbols (same as other Google apps) |
So:
- The famous red teardrop location pin → not publicly downloadable as SVG/PNG (Google does not release it)
- Most category/POI icons (food, lodging, fuel, ATM, park, museum…) → very similar or identical to Material Symbols icons
- All buttons, arrows, zoom controls, layers toggle → directly from Material Symbols
3. The closest official icons you can use (Material Symbols – 2026)
These are the Material Symbols icons that are visually closest to what you see in Google Maps / Google Places category markers and that developers most often use when they want a “Google Places / Maps POI style” look.
| Purpose / Place category | Material Symbols name (2026) | Looks like (description) | Typical use when mimicking Google Places |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generic place / location pin | location_on | 📍 classic pin | Default place marker |
| Restaurant / food | restaurant | 🍴 knife & fork | Restaurant POI |
| Cafe / coffee shop | local_cafe | ☕ coffee cup | Cafe / bakery |
| Hotel / lodging | hotel | 🏨 building | Hotel / accommodation |
| Gas / petrol station | local_gas_station | ⛽ gas pump | Fuel station |
| ATM / bank | local_atm | 🏧 ATM machine | ATM / bank branch |
| Hospital / medical | local_hospital | 🏥 hospital building | Hospital / clinic |
| Pharmacy | local_pharmacy | 💊 pill bottle | Pharmacy / chemist |
| Park / garden | park | 🌳 tree & grass | Park / nature area |
| Museum / art gallery | museum | 🏛️ classical building | Museum / gallery |
| Shopping / mall | local_mall | 🛍️ shopping bag | Mall / shopping center |
| Grocery / supermarket | local_grocery_store | 🛒 grocery cart | Supermarket / grocery |
| Coffee / cafe | coffee | ☕ coffee | Cafe / coffee shop |
| Bar / pub | local_bar | 🍺 beer glass | Bar / pub |
4. Real, copy-paste examples (how people actually use these icons in 2026)
Example 1: Place card / location preview (Google Maps style)
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<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Material+Symbols+Outlined:opsz,wght,FILL,GRAD@20..48,100..700,0..1,-50..200" /> <div style="max-width:420px; margin:40px auto; border:1px solid #dadce0; border-radius:12px; overflow:hidden; box-shadow:0 2px 8px rgba(0,0,0,0.08);"> <div style="height:160px; background:#e3f2fd; display:flex; align-items:center; justify-content:center;"> <span class="material-symbols-outlined" style="font-size:96px; color:#d93025;"> location_on </span> </div> <div style="padding:20px;"> <h3 style="margin:0 0 8px;">Charminar</h3> <p style="color:#5f6368; margin:0 0 12px;">Hyderabad, Telangana • Historic monument</p> <div style="display:flex; gap:20px; color:#1a73e8; font-size:1.8rem;"> <span class="material-symbols-outlined">restaurant</span> <span class="material-symbols-outlined">hotel</span> <span class="material-symbols-outlined">local_gas_station</span> </div> </div> </div> |
Example 2: Nearby places category selector
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<div style="display:flex; justify-content:center; gap:40px; font-size:4rem; margin:60px 0; flex-wrap:wrap;"> <div style="text-align:center; cursor:pointer;"> <span class="material-symbols-outlined" style="font-size:64px; color:#1a73e8;">restaurant</span> <p style="font-size:1.3rem; margin-top:12px;">Food</p> </div> <div style="text-align:center; cursor:pointer;"> <span class="material-symbols-outlined" style="font-size:64px; color:#1a73e8;">hotel</span> <p style="font-size:1.3rem; margin-top:12px;">Hotels</p> </div> <div style="text-align:center; cursor:pointer;"> <span class="material-symbols-outlined" style="font-size:64px; color:#1a73e8;">local_gas_station</span> <p style="font-size:1.3rem; margin-top:12px;">Fuel</p> </div> <div style="text-align:center; cursor:pointer;"> <span class="material-symbols-outlined" style="font-size:64px; color:#1a73e8;">local_atm</span> <p style="font-size:1.3rem; margin-top:12px;">ATM</p> </div> </div> |
Example 3: “Nearby” / “Explore” button
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<button style="background:#1a73e8; color:white; padding:16px 32px; border:none; border-radius:50px; font-size:1.2rem; cursor:pointer; display:flex; align-items:center; gap:12px;"> <span class="material-symbols-outlined" style="font-size:28px;">explore</span> Explore nearby places </button> |
Teacher Summary – Quick Truth Table (March 2026)
| Question | Honest Answer (2026) |
|---|---|
| Is there an official library called “Google Places Icons” or “Google Maps POI Icons”? | No |
| Does Google release the red teardrop pin or category POI icons as downloadable SVGs? | No (internal rendering only) |
| Where do the restaurant/hotel/gas/ATM icons come from? | Mostly Material Symbols + internal custom tweaks |
| Current best icon names for Places/POI? | location_on, restaurant, hotel, local_gas_station, local_atm, local_hospital, park, museum, local_mall, local_grocery_store |
| Best way to use Places-style icons in 2026? | Material Symbols via Google Fonts CDN (variable font) |
| Number of place/category-related icons available? | ~80–150 (plenty for any map UI, POI selector, or local search app) |
Final Teacher Advice
If you want Google Maps / Google Places-style icons (location pin, restaurant, hotel, gas station, ATM, hospital, park, museum, etc.) in 2026:
→ Use Material Symbols → Take icons named: location_on, restaurant, hotel, local_gas_station, local_atm, local_hospital, park, museum, local_mall, local_grocery_store, etc. → Use red (#d93025) for location pins and blue (#1a73e8) for action buttons to match real Google Maps look
Got it now? Want me to:
- Build a full mini Google Maps-style place card + nearby categories demo using only Material Symbols?
- Show side-by-side comparison of Material Symbols vs Font Awesome 5 place/POI icons?
- Give you ready-to-copy Material Symbols CDN code + several Places UI examples?
- Or go back to the Font Awesome 5 categories?
Just raise your hand — teacher is ready! 📍🍴🏨⛽🏧🚀
