The offline and navigation feature was a huge announcement from Google when it was first announced earlier in May, despite being overshadowed by the then-announcement of Android M , the feature is now available to the public.
The company announced in a blog post that Google Maps will be launching a new offline search and navigation feature. It's designed to work seamlessly with regular app refreshes, and only kick in when your connectivity is lost.
The previous version of the Google Maps allowed you to view maps even if your data connection failed, but this new feature is a bit different. It lets you select the portion of a map you want to use offline, whether it's a single stretch of road or a wider area.
This way, when you're not connected to the Internet, you can search for points within saved areas, get turn-by-turn navigation, and even pull up information about places you're interested in, such as opening hours, contact information, or ratings.
The company says the new feature will start rolling out to Android users in an app update today, and will soon be coming to iOS. To download a map section, search for the city (or country) and click “Download” in the place sheet that appears. Alternatively, you can tap “Offline Areas” in the app’s menu and then tap the + button to add the areas you want. Once you’ve downloaded your maps, Maps will automatically switch to offline mode when your connection is unstable or drops. By default, maps will download when you’re connected to Wi-Fi.
Currently, offline navigation is only available in driving mode, although the company says it plans to add transit and walking modes in the future.
