Download and Use Google Maps Offline on Android

5 Parts:

Download a Google Map to use Offline

Update and Manage Saved Maps

View a Saved Map Offline

Offline Map Settings

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Google Maps is exceptionally convenient for navigating around areas that you're unfamiliar with. As long as you have a Data connection, it can act as a pretty decent standalone GPS system. But what about those situations when you're either low on Data or out of range, but still need to reference a map to get around? This is when downloading Google Maps to use offline comes in handy.

As long as you know the area you'll be navigating around in; you can select it on Google Maps when you have an active WiFi or Data connection, download it, then pull it up later when you're device is offline. You can also update your downloaded maps before using them offline. This is similar to how people used traditional paper maps back in the day, only now, it's the digital version, and it's right on your Android device.

In the following VisiHow tutorial, we're going to show how to download, manage, and use Google Maps offline. For this article, we used a Google Pixel running Android 8.1.0, but as long as your device is using the current Google Maps app, you'll be fine.

Make sure your device is connected to either WiFi or Data before attempting to download a map.

1. 1
   From either the home screen or app drawer, tap the Google Maps shortcut.

   

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2. 2
   If you don't have location services enabled, you'll see the following pop-up

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   You can enable it if you wish but it's not necessary.

   

   Only WiFi or Data needs to be on to be able to download maps.

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3. 3
   Once Google Maps is open, tap the hamburger icon in the top left corner, then tap "Offline maps".

   

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4. 4
   From the Offline maps screen, tap "SELECT YOUR OWN MAP".

   

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5. 5
   When the map appears on the screen, use your finger to navigate to a section you'd like to download

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   Take notice of the blue rectangle surrounding the map; this is the area that will be downloaded.

   

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6. 6
   You can zoom in by pinching outwardly with two fingers

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   When you're ready with your selection, tap "DOWNLOAD".

   

   Just below the map, you'll see a message indicating how much space on your device the download will require.

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7. 7
   Back on the Offline maps screen, you'll see the download status of the map you just selected

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   Once the download is complete, your map will be listed on the Offline maps screen.

   

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Sometimes things change on a map such as traffic or construction. So, it's often a good idea to update your offline maps before you need to use them. To update your maps, you'll need to be connected to either WiFi or Data.

1. 1
   Launch Google Maps from your home screen or app tray.

   

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2. 2
   With Google Maps open, tap the hamburger menu icon in the upper left corner, followed by "Offline maps".

   

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3. 3
   From the Offline maps screen, tap the three-dot menu to the right of your downloaded map.

   

   With the three-dot menu selected, the following options will appear

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   1. Update - When selected, your map will be updated to reflect any recent changes. A WiFi or Data connection is required to update.
   2. View - Tap this to view your map. You can be offline to view your map, and in some cases, navigation will also be available.
   3. Rename - Tap this option to rename your map.
   4. Delete - Tap this to delete the saved map.

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As mentioned in the previous section, you do not need to be connected to view a downloaded map, as it's saved to your device locally.

1. 1
   From your home screen or app drawer, tap the "Google Maps" icon.

   
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