Google Maps is one of the most useful features on your phone. The way most users have it configured, however, Google Maps does use data. While this is fine in many circumstances, it doesn’t help those on limited data plans, when you’re out of cellular range, or travelling in a foreign country and want to avoid roaming charges. Fortunately, it is possible to use Google Maps offline — here’s how.
Try Using Google Maps Without Data
Google Maps’ offline feature is available on both iOS and Android versions of Google Maps. To use it on an iPhone or iPad, you’ll need to be running version 3.0 or later of the app. Support for Android devices has been available as of version 8.0. If you’re running earlier versions of either app, be sure to download the most recent update before proceeding.
One important thing to note is if you want to use Google Maps offline, you have to plan in advance. If you’ll be travelling in the near future, follow the steps below to have the information you need available on your phone without running up expensive roaming charges.
Using Google Maps Offline
Saving Google Maps data to your phone is easy:
- Start by logging in to your Google account.
- Then, search for a city, town or other place and zoom into the area you want to download the map for.
- Click the search bar again to open up the drop-down menu that lets you explore nearby.
- There, you’ll see an option to “Download a new offline area.”
- Pressing this will take you back to the map screen. Zoom in or out to select the area you want to download data for.
- Press “Download” to save the map to your device.
You can access your map by opening the app’s main menu and clicking on “Offline areas.” If you’re saving a map for an area you visit frequently, you can even configure it to update automatically when Wi-Fi or cellular data is present so you always have the most recent version available.
Google Maps’ offline feature can be extremely convenient, but you’ll need a newer phone or tablet to benefit from it. When it’s time to upgrade your device, consider selling your old cell phone with The Whiz Cells.