How to use Google Maps offline on Android

It's summer here in the UK! For many Brits that means it’s time to dig out the passports and go on holiday. Some people like sunning themselves by a pool, others like to explore the sights and sounds of a city and for the hard-core adventurous types, trekking across mountainous landscapes is just the ticket.

Whichever way one chooses to spend their holiday, when travelling abroad it is always wise to go equipped with a map. Getting lost is a scary experience in and of itself. Getting lost in a country where you don’t know the language and cannot ask for directions, or a rural area where there is not a soul in sight, is even more terrifying!

Now, you could leave it to chance and rely on your Google Maps app as per normal. However, your internet connection may be slow, spotty or non-existent (especially if you are visiting somewhere remote). Plus, using mobile data abroad can be mega expensive!

You could avoid technology altogether and go old school, dusting off the old OS maps. If you intend to go seriously off piste, taking a hard copy map is a wise thing to do anyway. However, it would be a shame not to take advantage of the technology available. Most apps exist to improve our lives, irrespective of where we find ourselves in the world. Perhaps, even moreso, an app which is literally a map of the world!

The Googlers over in Silicon Valley thought it a shame too and they created a workaround, making it possible to use Google Maps offline. It just requires a bit of forethought on the users part. All you have to do is download the areas you intend to visit onto your phone, before you go. That way, when you are away – on the road or lacking signal – you can still navigate and not get lost, whilst offline!

Things you should know before using Google Maps offline

There are a few limitations you should know about before navigating offline with Google Maps. When you use Google Maps offline you CANNOT:

• Access real-time traffic data. To get that information, you have to have an internet connection. When navigating offline, any ETA (estimated time of arrival) that is provided, is calculated on the premise that there is no traffic. You will also not be warned of any impending traffic delays with those helpful red and orange route lines/ traffic indicators.
• Get route alternatives. A by product of the previous point. You will not be offered route alternatives if traffic becomes bad. You will just be given the quickest route on the premise there is no traffic.
• Get public transport, bicycling or walking directions. You can only access driving directions.
• Download offline maps in certain regions. Google explains that this is for a variety of reasons such as “contractual limitations, language support, address formats or other reasons.”

How to download Google Maps to be used offline on Android

When at home, with a secure wi-fi connection:

1. Open the Google Maps app on your mobile device.
2. Tap on your profile picture or the initial Account Circle in the top right-hand corner.
3. Select “Offline Maps.”
4. Tap “Select your own map.”
5. Pinch to zoom in/out and drag the map until the blue, rectangular viewport covers the area you intend to visit.
6. Tap “Download” once you are happy with the map selection.

Below the map viewport and above the download button, the app will tell you how much space the downloaded map file will take up on your phone. Check you are happy with this before committing to the download.

How to rename offline Google Maps on Android

If your map selection is zoomed in and focussed on a city, Google Maps will automatically name the map after the city. However, when your map selection covers either a nondescript region, or a wider area with multiple towns and cities, it will name the map “Map 1.” If you are downloading multiple maps like this, it will name them “Map 1”, “Map 2” etc. In this case, you may want to rename your offline maps, to make it easier for yourself to find the relevant one.

1. Open the Google Maps app on your mobile device.
2. Tap on your profile picture or the initial Account Circle in the top right-hand corner.
3. Select “Offline maps.”
4. Find the map you want to rename, under “Downloaded maps.”
5. Tap the kebab icon (three vertically stacked dots) to the right of the map.
6. Select “Rename.”
7. Enter a new title for your offline map. (Make it specific and easy to remember, especially if you intend to download multiple maps within a similar region.)
8. Hit “Save.”

How to use offline Google Maps with mobile data switched on

We have established that the Google Maps app is a big drain on the battery and your mobile data, hence the reason why offline maps were created. But what if you want to use Google Maps offline for this very reason, but need mobile data switched on for another?

You could be working abroad and due to meet an international colleague in an area you are not familiar with. You could be on a large group holiday where you have all gone your separate ways, to enjoy different activities, but are now looking to regroup at a new location. In either scenario, unless you specified a time and place beforehand, you experience no delays and everything goes to plan, you need a means of contacting one another.

Whatsapp is one of the go to messaging apps these days, but it requires an internet connection to work. How can you use it to liaise with the person you are meeting, whilst figuring out how to get there with Google Maps and not get a hefty bill for it?

Again, the Googlers have figured out a workaround. You can adjust the settings in your Google Maps app, to specify that downloaded, offline maps should always be used unless you have a Wi-Fi connection. That way, when out and about, Google Maps can do its thing offline and you can message away with mobile data switched on.

Here is how you enable the Wi-Fi only setting:

1. Open the Google Maps app on your phone.
2. Tap your profile picture or the initial Account Circle in the top right-hand corner of your screen.
3. Select “Settings.”
4. Switch the “Wi-Fi only” toggle to on.

How to enable the auto-update of offline Google Maps on Android

Google Maps is constantly being updated. Business owners add details of their premises daily and that funny-looking Google Street View car is constantly on the move, obtaining updated visuals. For that reason, any downloaded or offline maps expire after 15 days. After that, they are no longer usable. 

If you are visiting an area for a period of time longer than 15 days, you may want to enable the “auto-update offline maps” feature. When you are chilling out in your accommodation and connected to Wi-Fi, opting into this feature means that Google Maps will automatically update your downloaded maps. It saves you having to remember to update them manually. If you forget, you could get caught out when out and about with an unusable map.

To enable the auto-update of your offline Google Maps:

1. Open up the Google Maps app on your mobile device.
2. Tap on your profile picture or the initial Account Circle in the top right-hand corner of your screen.
3. Select “Offline Maps.”
4. Tap the “Settings” icon (cog in the top right-hand corner of the screen.)
5. Switch the “Auto-update offline maps” toggle to on.

You can then stipulate that you only want your offline maps to be updated when you are connected to Wi-Fi. To do that: 

• Open up the Google Maps app on your mobile device.
• Tap on your profile picture or the initial Account Circle in the top right-hand corner of your screen.
• Select “Offline Maps.”
• Tap the “Settings” icon (cog in the top right-hand corner of the screen.)
• Tap “Download preferences” and a pop-up will appear.
• Select “Over Wi-Fi only”
• Tap “Save” to confirm.

How to delete unused offline Google Maps on Android

When you have returned from holiday and no longer need your downloaded maps, you can delete them to free up storage. To do that:

1. Open the Google Maps app on your phone.
2. Tap your profile picture or initial Account Circle in the top right-hand corner of the screen.
3. Select “Offline maps.”
4. Find the map that you want to delete under “Downloaded maps.” 
5. Tap the kebab icon (three vertically stacked dots) to the right of the map's details.
6. Select “Delete.”
7. Confirm “Delete” in the pop up notification.



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