Preparing for a Summer Road Trip? Download Google Maps Offline for Stress-Free Navigation
Summertime is in the air, and it's the perfect season to get away for a weekend. Whether you're preparing for your next road trip or popping down to the beach to soak up some sun, chances are you'll be driving to get there. Google Maps makes it easy for you to get where you're going while avoiding roadwork or bumper-to-bumper traffic along the way. Turn-by-turn directions ensure you never get lost, even when you're driving in an unfamiliar area. However, if your trip takes you through remote regions, you may not have internet access, which can cause issues.
Without a net connection, Google Maps can't help you reroute, recover from a wrong turn or find a gas station. You're stuck with whatever directions you started with. Luckily, there's a smart work-around: You can plan ahead and download your map for offline use. With offline maps, you can still access turn-by-turn navigation even when you're completely disconnected. Here's how to make sure you're never lost, even without service.
Want to learn about other Google Maps tips and tricks? Check out how to blur your house on Google Maps, and take a look at these three Google Maps features you'll definitely want to be aware of.
Now Playing: How to Use Google Maps Like a Pro
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How to download Google Maps offline
First off, you won't download all of Google Maps in its entirety. Instead, before your trip, you'll want to download a specific area, which could be a city, county or region where you'll be spending time and might not have service on your phone.
To download a map in Google Maps offline, open the Google Maps app on iOS or Android and tap your profile picture on the top right (you must be logged in to your Google account for this to work). In the menu that appears, tap Offline maps > Select Your Own Map.
You can download multiple Google Maps areas offline.
Screenshots by Nelson Aguilar/CNET
Use your fingers to place the map you want to download within the confines of the rectangle border. Use one finger to move across the map, and a two-finger pinch to zoom in and out. As you move around the map, you'll see how much storage space the download will take up on your phone. Once you're happy with the area, tap Download.
Note: Alternatively, you can type a city or other area into Google Maps and then hit the Download button that appears in the pull-up window to download the map offline but this only works on the iPhone.
Read more: Google Maps Cheat Sheet: Most Useful Tricks
You must be connected to Wi-Fi to download the map. If you want to download over cellular, go to the Offline maps page, tap the gear icon on the top right, tap When to download offline maps and select Over Wi-Fi or mobile network. Once your map is downloaded, you'll be sent back to the Offline maps page, where you can see all your offline maps.
You can only download a map that's a maximum 250MB (what will appear in the selected map is roughly the size of Maine).
Screenshots by Nelson Aguilar/CNET
Now you'll be able to use Google Maps even when you're offline in the area you downloaded -- and in that area only. You won't get extremely accurate travel times or alternate route options because traffic and other road issues are not accounted for but you will get a general ballpark idea of how long your trip should take. Transit, bicycling and walking directions also are not available offline -- only driving directions.
You'll know you're using your offline map when you see a little cloud icon with a line through it in Google Maps.
Screenshots by Nelson Aguilar/CNET
If you want more tips on Google, make sure to read which Google Home settings you need to change ASAP and our picks for the best Pixel phones.
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