[Tushar]

Link to Team-BHP's Google Maps discussion

In a move that will find many of us with unreliable internet connections rejoicing, Google Maps offline has now been launched in India. You can now download the map of an area for offline access to your phone, and even if your internet connections fails, Google Maps will continue to work. The offline functions include turn-by-turn navigation and searching for specific destinations.

As an example, if you are on your way to Bangalore and aren't sure how well your service provider will perform there, you can download the maps of Bangalore in Google Maps by searching for “Bangalore”, and then tapping "download" or by going to "offline areas" in the Google Maps menu and tapping the “+” button to add a location.

It is important to note that Google Maps will only download areas to your device when you are on a Wi-Fi connection. Once you’ve downloaded your map, Google Maps will work even when you’re somewhere with inconsistent or no connectivity at all. When a connection is found, it will switch back to online mode, so you can access the full version of Maps, including live traffic conditions for your current route. The feature will make its way to Google Maps on iOS as well.

[paragsachania]

I have many times used this feature earlier to plan my drives. In fact, it was popularly known as "Caching".

Also, if you have been regularly using maps for a particular area, you really don't need to download the section as it would have got cached anyway. To test this, you can try using Navigation on Gmaps (for a route that you normally take on daily basis and have used maps here earlier) after setting a route and then turn off the data after few minutes and it will work.

In fact, I remember very well that it worked for us when we were in Waynad way back in Dec 2012 and there was absolutely no network in one particular section.

If you just search for videos on youtube regarding this feature, there are plenty which are uploaded at least 2 years before:

https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...gle+Maps+cache

[BoneCollector]

Originally Posted by Tushar

Link to Team-BHP's Google Maps discussion

This has been there for a long time. I have used Delhi/Gurgaon offline maps in 2012/2013 on my Samsung Galaxy S2. The user interface has improved and so has the map content.

[naikameya]

Wasn't this feature always available, though not in this manner. You could always zoom in to area that you would like to download and enter ok maps in the search bar and hit search. this would download the maps that are visible on the screen.
Yes but it was pathetic back then. Let's see how it works now. Else a solution is HERE maps.

[Rajeevraj]

So that's why when I opened the App today, it asked me whether I would like to download my 'Home' area.

Guess the caching feature was there, don't recollect a proper download option.

[NPV]

Google offline navigation for India launch links:
Indian Express - Link
Times of India - Link

[kavensri]

For those who are mentioning that this feature was available since long time, let me highlight the difference (correct me if i am wrong):
1) For the same area, earlier maps were of size 15Mb, where as now it is close to 400Mb. I presume that it is downloading much more information to support navigation.
2) Earlier, without enabling the DATA CONNECTION, you could not have entered the NAVIGATION mode, but now we can enter the same and it also gives turn-by-turn directions without DATA CONNECTION.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Guess the caching feature was there, don't recollect a proper download option.

There was a download option available then too. The screenshot shared by Tushar is same was what I saw couple of years before.

You zoom and and select a location and the approximate size in MB would get displayed below.

[srishiva]

Was navigation possible on the cached image before? Maybe now they have added offline navigation on the downloaded map.
Could have been a limitation on size before and now its actually downloaded and you can start navigation without a network connection.

[Klub Class]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

There was a download option available then too. The screenshot shared by Tushar is same was what I saw couple of years before

You're right. Been there, done that

Here is an article from 2013 on downloading offline maps on Google Maps android app - http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/...n-google-maps/

And I vaguely remember using Google Maps modded app (from XDA forums) when Google Navigation wasn't available in India

[NPV]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

There was a download option available then too. The screenshot shared by Tushar is same was what I saw couple of years before.

You zoom and and select a location and the approximate size in MB would get displayed below.

The earlier feature was downloading smaller maps with the "Save this map" option and now there is an explicit "Download" option that downloads larger maps.
If you check "Your places" from the google maps app menu you will see the saved maps and it will also show the expiry information if that is obsolete now.
See this for the old way - Link

[Vizay]

Originally Posted by kavensri

For those who are mentioning that this feature was available since long time, let me highlight the difference (correct me if i am wrong):
...
2) Earlier, without enabling the DATA CONNECTION, you could not have entered the NAVIGATION mode, but now we can enter the same and it also gives turn-by-turn directions without DATA CONNECTION.

Yes. + The voice navigation still needs data connection. It displays turn by turn navigation now (which needed data connection earlier). Or Am I missing something?

Even with data connection enabled, GMaps keeps saying 'your connection is not good, etc'. Not sure if it's my specific problem (Airtel 3G) or a common issue.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by NPV

The earlier feature was downloading smaller maps with the "Save this map" option and now there is an explicit "Download" option that downloads larger maps.

Then I remembered downloading the complete stretch of NH4 and NH8 till Ahmedabad from Bangalore part by part. But in the end, the whole of 1500 route was "Downloaded" onto my mobile.

If I zoomed out, It would tell me to zoom in to select a smaller section. This way, I would zoom in, select a smaller area and download. Repeat these steps for the entire route (Say 6-7 times) and it always worked.

I think these features were always there but now with a larger chunk of junta using maps quite often, Google had to advertise this "Feature" now.

Originally Posted by Vizay

Yes. + The voice navigation still needs data connection. It displays turn by turn navigation now (which needed data connection earlier). Or Am I missing something?

Even with data connection enabled, GMaps keeps saying 'your connection is not good, etc'. Not sure if it's my specific problem (Airtel 3G) or a common issue.

I say this again, this feature worked with absolutely zero network connectivity and I did mean Navigation unless I had to state that explicitly - Yes, step by step voice Navigation but the catch was this -

1. You have set navigation with Data and GPS On and Gmaps has calculated your route
2. You have downloaded/Cached maps which is part of this route

This was the precise reason why the feature of downloading existed.

[kat]

Originally Posted by NPV

The earlier feature was downloading smaller maps with the "Save this map" option and now there is an explicit "Download" option that downloads larger maps.
If you check "Your places" from the google maps app menu you will see the saved maps and it will also show the expiry information if that is obsolete now.
See this for the old way - Link

I just tried downloading an area near my place and after the download, it states that it expires in 30 days. Does this mean, I need to keep downloading the same map again and again every month? If that is the case, as of now, Here maps seems to be the best available off-line navigation option.

[srishiva]

http://www.androidauthority.com/goog...-india-656470/

This gives what has changed.