How to Download Offline Google Maps
To download Google Maps for offline use, connect to the internet, sign into your Google account, then follow these directions:
Open Google Maps and search for a place, such as Denver, or the name of a restaurant or other location. You can pinch, zoom, or scroll to select the area you want to save, then select Download. If you searched for a specific place like a restaurant, rather than a city or region, tap the More menu (three vertical dots) > Download offline map > Download. The map is saved to your device’s internal storage for offline viewing.
How to Use Your Offline Google Maps
To make sure you can view maps offline, disable your device’s internet connectivity and try to access your maps without Wi-Fi:
Open Google Maps. Tap the hamburger icon in the upper-left corner of the screen. Select Offline maps. Tap the downloaded map. Tap the pencil icon in the upper-right corner to give the map a name. Tap Delete to remove the map from your device, or tap Update to renew the map for an additional 30 days. Tap the image of the map to view it. You can zoom in the see just as much detail as you can while online.
Saving Google Maps to Your SD Card
By default, offline maps are saved in your phone’s internal storage. You can opt to save them to an SD card, if your phone has one.
On your Android phone or tablet, insert an SD card. Open the Google Maps app . Tap Menu > Offline maps. Tap Settings. Under Storage preferences, tap Device > SD card. Under Download preferences, you can select Over Wi-Fi only if you wish to save data and battery life while downloading maps.
Other Ways to View Maps Offline
Google Maps is not alone in offering offline access. Competing apps such as HERE Maps and CoPilot GPS beat them to it, though the latter requires a paid subscription.
