The Android-only app also offers full offline access for those with spotty mobile Internet. Today’s news comes a month after Google launched its first dedicated public transport app, though it is only available in New Delhi, India. In addition to navigation, offline mode also retains key information about locations, such as opening hours and contact details for businesses, which will be helpful for tourists or business travelers. It’s worth noting here that this will require space on your device. At the bottom, tap the name or address of the place tap More Download offline map. Make sure youre connected to the internet and signed in to Google Maps. Now, you can download regions on Google Maps over Wi-Fi, and use the app wherever your roam. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Maps app. While Google Maps has emerged as the default navigation map for many, its shortcomings with offline access had forced users to turn to a second service when traveling abroad or when in rural areas where 3G/4G was limited. To download offline maps, you need the Google Maps app on your iOS or Android device. Google Maps will now show you the exact area of maps that will be downloaded. Then when you have a connection, you’ll be switched back online again (unless you manually go offline) so you can receive live traffic alerts. Follow must-try places recommended by local experts, Google, and publishers Review places you’ve visited. From the pop-up menu, select Download offline map. We sure hope they do.A neat feature of the new Google Maps offline mode is that it will automatically detect if you have poor or no connectivity, and switch to offline mode of its own accord. Once again, navigation was spot-on, even when the cell signal disappeared entirely.īottom line: The feature is perfect for international travelers who don't want to hassle with a data plan and for adventurers who frequently find themselves out of cell range. It also seems like it would be useful for navigating Google’s ski-resort and trail maps, where cell service is often non-existent, but there’s no word yet on whether the company will make these services available. test, I downloaded a map of eastern New York and then used it to navigate to a local mountain-bike trail system called Lippman Park in Wawarsing, where cell coverage is lousy. The app functioned just the same as if I was connected to a cell tower.įor my U.S. I found I could easily search for locations (restaurants, addresses, etc.) within my specified geographic area, and could have received turn-by-turn directions from the middle of Cape Town to the beach at Muizenberg. Once the map was on my phone (it stays there for 30 days and then expires, but you can re-download), I turned off the cell signal. The biggest map Google will let you download covers 120,000 square kilometers-or about half the United Kingdom. Google officials warned me that the app prefers to download maps over WiFi to avoid racking up a big data bill, but you can override that feature if needed. You can get an offline map using the Google Maps app for Android and iOS, so long as you are logged into your Google Account within the app. Most phones have plenty of space for a couple maps this size. I found the town in the app, then zoomed out a bit so I had a map of the surrounding area, too. Next, I hit the download button, and Google warned me that the map would take 1.5 gigs of memory-which is fairly reasonable, as the map encompassed Muizenberg, all of nearby Cape Town, many of its suburbs, as well as the Cape of Good Hope (several hundred square miles all together). First, I downloaded a map of a Muizenberg, a popular surf town just outside Cape Town, South Africa. That changed a few weeks ago when Google announced that its maps, destination searches, and turn-by-turn directions will be available offline, using the phone’s built-in GPS chip rather than its cell antenna. The feature is currently only available for Android (Google says iOS is coming) and it only works for roads, but it’s a big step toward enabling backcountry users and world travelers to rely on the digital guides no matter where they're going.īut while the feature sounds great in theory, I wanted to find out how well it worked in the field. On back roads without a cell signal, you were better off with a trusty topo or paper atlas. The Google Maps app is awesome-until it isn’t.
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