Google Maps is getting offline navigation on Android today, iOS update coming 'soon'
Offline maps are convenient, all about speed
There are some minor limitation: businesses registered on Google Maps will appear with only their names, star ratings, and phone numbers, but there will be no photos or user reviews (this would still be displayed if you have mobile data). You also cannot switch to a satellite view, and there are no offline walking or public transport directions.
But despite all these minor cons, this is a massive update that fixes one of the most often heard comments about Google Maps. Also, it's all about speed.
"We've been working on all of this stuff for two to three years," Google project manager Amanda Bishop said. "Google Maps happened to be really slow or completely unusable in many scenarios due to limited mobile internet. "Users now don't have to do all that screenshot jujitsu before they leave [in case they lose access], and there's much faster load times for search and driving directions."
She further explained that "everybody on our team who uses it can't stand it when they have to use the old app because it's crazy how frequently you find yourself seeing that spinner waiting for results. Once you get used to it returning them in a second every single time, you quickly get used to how snappy the app feels."
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Things that are NOT allowed: