Originally published on Tutomod.
Roaming data in another country costs what it costs, and mountain roads laugh at signal anyway. Offline maps turn your phone into a full GPS with zero connection.
The download takes two minutes on WiFi before leaving. Future you, lost at a foreign roundabout at midnight, says thanks.
Before you start
- Google Maps on your phone
- WiFi and 5 minutes (plus some storage)
Photo by Theo Decker on Pexels
The steps, start to finish
1. Open the offline maps menu
Google Maps app, tap your profile picture, Offline maps, then Select your own map.
2. Frame the area you need
A rectangle appears that you pinch and drag over your destination: city, region, or that whole coastal route. The app shows the download size live, usually a few hundred MB.
- Bigger area = more detail but more storage
- Download home city too, tunnels don't care about geography
3. Download on WiFi
Hit Download and let it finish before closing the app. The map then works fully offline: searching streets, driving navigation, the whole thing.
4. Know what works offline and what doesn't
Driving navigation and place search work without signal. Walking, transit and traffic need data. So offline maps are a driving superpower, less so for subway hopping.
5. Keep maps fresh
Offline maps expire after a while, the app nags you to update. Profile, Offline maps shows them with update buttons. Do it the night before travel, not in the airport line.
Photo by William Hadley on Pexels
Good habits to keep
- Star your hotel, the rental car place and the airport before going offline: saved places appear on the offline map too.
- Download the language pack of your destination in Translate the same way: both apps offline make the ideal combo.
- A paper screenshot of the hotel address rides along as plan C, batteries have their own travel plans.
Keep reading
- How to Free Up Storage on Android Without Deleting Your Photos
- How to Export and Import Chrome Bookmarks (Move Browsers Without Losing Anything)
- How to See Who Is Connected to Your WiFi (and Kick Off Strangers)
Pinch, frame, download: the cheapest travel insurance against 'where is this street' ever invented. Do it before the bags are packed.
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