If you are used to using the Google Maps app, you will learn from this tutorial. how to upload your maps and consult them offline later. Therefore, we will see very simply how to save a card, how to care for it and, possibly, how to delete it.
- Discover : How to share a route on Google Maps
Use of Google Maps and offline maps
The problem with Google Maps is its addiction to the internet. It still works when you’re in a city in France and the network is good, a little less when the network quality drops, and doesn’t work at all when you go abroad, and the downloaded data costs the price of caviar.
That’s why Google has implemented functionality in its app that allows to save and review selected offline areas, although there are limitations.
Saving the desired field
First of all, you will of course need to register the domain you want to consult offline.
- Open the app and sign in to your Google account if you haven’t already.
- Find a place. In our example, Paris, for example.
- Swipe down from the bottom of the screen to view the location’s information card, then press on Save for offline access, to save the selected area on the map. (Note that searching is useless if the map is already in the region you want to save. All you have to do is click the search field and scroll down to find the “save for access” button. offline. )
- Only the area displayed on the screen is saved. And of course you can adjust the zoom by moving or changing it. There is no need to get as close as possible to record the details, the principle of recording for offline access is to record not only what the screen sees, but also all the details in the closed area.
- Give the saved field a name, then tap Save.
View saved cards
The idea is of course to look at maps. Unfortunately this is the only thing possible offline, route calculation which requires internet connection.
To access one of the saved fields
- Tap the side menu icon and then your addresses.
- Scroll down the page, go to the section Offline Mapsthen press button View and manage all.
Management of saved cards
You are back in France, where you have increased the size of your data packet. Whatever your reason, here’s how to delete or edit saved cards.
- Tap the side menu icon, then your addresses.
- Scroll down the page, go to the section Offline Mapsthen press button View and manage all.
- Tap the Menu icon on the right
- press on rename, Update Where To deletedepending on your purpose
- Confirm the changes.
A troubleshooter, but not a replacement
While saving maps is a real improvement over the sole online operation, this functionality does not make your Google Maps app an offline GPS worthy of a TomTom.
This option saves all map data and street names, zoom as much as you want offlineBeing able to learn all the details of the place in the recorded frame.
On the other hand, more advanced features such as Satellite and Relief views, interior plans and 3D buildings will not be visible. The two most missing options in this offline mode are route calculation and Navigation without hesitation.
On the other hand, although it is not the biggest problem in terms of functionality, it should be noted thatAn area larger than 50 km2 cannot be registered. But as a general rule, this should be more than enough to choose areas to visit in the morning and to take advantage of a wifi network when abroad, avoiding downloading data once outside.
Finally, as Google constantly updates its maps, the service limits the map storage to 30 days, after which all saved areas will be deleted.
Solution
While this will never completely compensate for an offline GPS, this feature will provide a very good troubleshooting solution in areas where the network is not accessible or very expensive. On the other hand, if privacy is a real issue for you, looking at offline maps will continue to be the best way to avoid being tracked on Google.
Do you use your Android GPS often? Do you use the Google Maps service to find your way or create a route?