Google Maps is one of the most popular and widely used navigation apps. It provides turn-by-turn driving, walking, biking and transit directions, allowing you to navigate easily to any destination.
One extremely useful but often overlooked feature of Google Maps is its ability to save maps for offline use. This allows you to navigate and search maps even without an internet connection.
Here is a detailed guide on how to enable and use offline maps in Google Maps:
Table of Contents
Why Use Offline Maps
Here are some of the benefits of using offline maps in Google Maps:
- Navigate without mobile data or wifi connection
- Avoid roaming charges when traveling abroad
- Get directions even in remote areas with poor connectivity
- Save mobile data when using maps extensively
- Access maps more quickly as data doesn’t need to load
How To Save An Offline Map
Saving an offline map on Google Maps is easy:
On Android
- Open the Google Maps app
- Tap on your profile picture in the top right corner
- Select “Offline maps”
- Tap on “Select your own map”
- Use two fingers to zoom out and drag the map to select your desired area
- Tap the “Download” button at the bottom
On iPhone
- Open Google Maps app
- Tap on your profile icon in the top right corner
- Scroll down and select “Offline maps”
- Tap on “Select your own map”
- Zoom out and drag to select desired area
- Tap on “Download”
You can download multiple areas by repeating the steps above. The file size of each map will be shown before downloading so you can manage storage.
Using Offline Maps
Once your map is downloaded for offline usage, you can access it anytime even without an internet connection.
To view your offline maps:
- Open Google Maps
- Tap on your profile picture
- Select “Offline maps”
You will see a list of all your downloaded offline maps.
Tap on any map to open it. You can now search and navigate this area just like the online map.
Features unavailable in offline maps:
- Live traffic information
- Alternate routes
- Transit/biking/walking directions
- Lane guidance
- Location sharing
- Satellite view
So while offline maps provide basic navigation and search features, some advanced options require internet access.
Automatically Update Offline Maps
To keep your offline maps up to date, you can enable automatic updates:
On Android
- In offline maps, tap on settings icon
- Turn on “Auto-update offline maps”
This will update the offline maps periodically when you are connected to the internet.
You can also manually update expired maps anytime.
So that’s a comprehensive guide on how to download, use and update offline maps within Google Maps. With offline access enabled, you don’t need to worry about losing your way when you lose your connection!
It’s one of the most useful but overlooked features of Google Maps. So next time you’re traveling somewhere remote or want to reduce mobile data usage, remember to save your maps for offline.
