Maps Region Switcher icon

Maps Region Switcher

by mfcallahan · Functionality & UI
Manifest V3 Free
View in Chrome Web Store Data as of 15 Oct 2026

View Google Maps as it appears in another country by setting the region parameter on Maps page loads.

Users
40
+17 in 30 days
Rating
5.0 / 5
unchanged in 30 days
Ratings
3
0 in 30 days
Store rank
#117K
#97K among extensions
Version
1.4.4
updated 6 Sep 2026

Users

monthly, 1 months
02040Sep 2026Oct 2026Oct 2026
Latest, 15 Oct 2026: 40 usersMove the mouse over the chart for any month

Ratings count

monthly, 1 months
023Sep 2026Oct 2026Oct 2026
Latest, 15 Oct 2026: 3 ratingsMove the mouse over the chart for any month

The Chrome Web Store rounds user counts down to the leading digit, so the user line moves in steps. The ratings count is exact and is the better signal of real adoption.

About Maps Region Switcher

This extension sets the gl (region) query parameter on Google Maps page loads, so Maps renders exactly as it does for a region you choose, using Google's real rendering, not an overlay or a patch. Pick a region from the toolbar popup and toggle it on or off at any time. Google Maps already varies certain place names, business rankings, attribution text, and interface language by region. This is Google's own behavior, not something this extension adds or changes. This tool simply lets you view that regional variation from wherever you are, which is useful for travel planning, research, or simply understanding why a map looks different for someone in another country. How it works: two static declarativeNetRequest rules add or replace the gl query parameter on top-level Google Maps navigations, and allow-list URLs that already carry the parameter to prevent a redirect loop. Only the query string is touched, nothing else about the page is modified, and no content is injected or altered. The extension requests no data, transmits nothing, and only acts on Google Maps page loads. It is scoped to three narrow host patterns: www.google.com/maps, google.com/maps, and maps.google.com. Source: https://github.com/mfcallahan/maps-region-switcher

Growth

WindowUsersChangeRatingsRating
7 days−2−4.8%00.00
30 days+17+73.9%00.00

Version history

3 versions recorded
1.4.46 Sep 2026
1.4.33 Sep 2026
1.4.11 Sep 2026

Details

Category
Functionality & UI
First seen
1 Sep 2026
Size
22 KB
Languages
en-US
Pricing
Free
Privacy policy
github.com
Support
github.com
Extension ID
fmbelciakdlpbepnbjefifbjaopmgcfd

Permissions and risk

Moderate riskimpact 2, likelihood 3
Permissions
declarativeNetRequestWithHostAccessstorage
Site access
*://www.google.com/maps**://google.com/maps**://maps.google.com/*

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