At Google’s I/O, earlier this year, offline navigation was one of the major
announcements along with Android M. Google had promised to bring enhanced
offline mode for its maps app, and the feature is now rolling out to Android
devices.
The
ability to download offline maps was there since 2011, but it came with a set
of restrictions. First off, users could only download maps of region with 10
mile radius (approximately 16 kilometers). There was a download limit, with
maximum of 10MB and offline maps were only stored for a period of 30 days after
which users were required to download the map again. However, with the latest Google
Maps update, Google seems to have done away with these restrictions.
The new
update adds support for turn-by-turn navigation in offline mode. The download
limit has gone, which means you can now download maps of the entire city, which
can be as big as 375MB or more. To download offline maps, you will need to be
connected to a Wi-Fi network, thus letting you save on mobile data.
Unlike
before, the offline maps will now be updated in every 15 days to ensure you
have the latest updated details. However, there are a few caveats to offline
maps – you don’t get satellite view, walking or other public transit modes.
Obviously there is no support for live traffic updates. To get these services,
you’ll have to turn on mobile
data or Wi-Fi.
The
latest Google Maps update also lets you search for destinations, business
information and nearby places in offline mode. You can easily pull up
information such as contact details, ratings and hours of operation among
others. Google has added a dedicated download button, which makes it easier to
select and download a map locally.
Offline
navigation is designed to work seamlessly when there’s no internet connectivity, Google said in its blog post. So
whether you are in an underground parking or on a country road, with offline
navigation you no longer need to worry about bring connected to find
directions.
At the
time of filing this story, we haven’t received the update to
Google Maps. However, according to Google, the new app has a download button
that lets you select a particular area on the map to download offline content.
Alternatively, you can also tap on ‘Offline Areas’ in Menu and tap on ‘+’ button to search and download offline map content of a specific
region.
Offline
maps and turn-by-turn navigation support was offered by a handful of
third-party service providers, like Nokia’s HERE maps that have provided offline support for years.
A few
months ago, Google also introduced a feature to save YouTube videos for offline
viewing. The service allows users to download videos when connected to a Wi-Fi
network and view them later, thus not burning a hole in their mobile data
packs, which is already quite expensive. This feature is aimed at counties such
as India where there is limited and often spotty Internet connectivity and
mobile data remains an expensive proposition.
As the
update is rolling out in phases, it may take a while till the update becomes
available in your region. Initially starting with Android, Google has also
promised that it will soon roll out the same feature for iOS users too.
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