Google Maps is a versatile navigation and mapping tool that finds the speediest route. When you don’t have a good internet connection navigating through places can be tough, but Google Maps Offline can help you. It helps you to download maps and use them without any internet connection.
In this blog post, we will discuss an easy step-by-step guide for using Google Maps offline.
- Download Offline Maps
Open the Google Maps app on your smartphone. Then search for the places you need to travel to. To enter the name of the city or area you want to download use the search bar. Get the offline maps menu by tapping your profile picture, then select “Offline maps”. Select the area to download by tapping “Select your map” or choose from the suggested areas if applicable. To save the map for offline use tap “Download”.
- Update, Or Delete Offline Maps
Offline maps expire especially within 15 days, so it is important to update the maps. Google Maps will notify you when an update is needed and Google Maps may try an automatic update when connected to Wi-Fi. You can also update maps manually by going to “Offline maps” and tapping “Update” to keep your maps up-to-date.
To free up storage space you can delete Google Maps offline data by going to your profile icon Offline maps, then tap on the three-dot menu icon next to the map you want to delete, and select “Delete.” Confirm by selecting Yes.
- Using Offline Maps
Use Automatically
After you download an area or update Google Maps use the app. When you enter an area with no internet connectivity it will automatically switch to the offline maps you’ve downloaded.
Search and Navigate
You can search for locations and navigate within the downloaded area by entering your destination in the search bar. Google Maps will use the offline data to provide directions that you need.
Tips for Using Offline Maps
- While using offline maps you need to plan to download offline maps for all the areas you want to visit before your trip. This step is important for rural or remote areas with poor internet connectivity.
- Maximize Coverage by downloading overlapping areas if you’re traveling through regions that may extend beyond a single map’s coverage.
- Offline maps can take up significant storage space. So periodically optimize storage to manage your offline maps by updating or deleting those you no longer need.
- Use Wi-Fi and download maps over a Wi-Fi connection to avoid using up your mobile data.
Read More: How To Add Multiple Destinations And Customize Your Route Using Google Maps
Disadvantages of Offline Maps
- Storage Space: It can take up a lot of storage space on your phone, so It’s a good idea to delete the offline maps you no longer need once you’re done using them. You can update, delete, or edit the name of your saved offline maps in the Offline Maps menu.
- Name Your Maps: Edit the names of your maps to avoid confusion and for quick and easy selection when you are out and about.
- Update Google Maps: Make sure you update your maps before heading out to get the most recent data for that area because most downloaded maps expire after 15 days and will auto-delete, as Google Maps is constantly updating its data.
- Offline Features: Not every feature of Google Maps will be available offline and some areas in the world are not available to download offline. So make sure to plan, just in case.
Final Thoughts
Google Maps provides great location information, detailed directions, real-time traffic updates, and estimated arrival times. It also offers features to enhance the overall travel experience.
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