Google Maps adds finally navigation and search offline

Google Maps for Android now allows you to search for places and path calculations without the need for an internet connection. The function is also coming on iOS.

Google Maps comes to full maturity with the arrival of one of the most eagerly awaited by its users, offline browsing. Since the last update released on Android, the app Allows you to search for places and calculate the navigation offline, managing to bring to its destination even if you are not in the presence of an internet connection. The news was announced at the Google I / O in May, and after six months is finally available to the general public.

The option to save offline portions of the map on Google Maps has been present since 2012, but the implementation is now much more radical. You can select a city, zip code or a point of the map and then be downloaded by improving the choice of the exact that you want to save. But the most interesting part is that now all the places of interest are indexed locally and can be searched online. Even calculating your route will require an internet connection.

Because of the limitations of the various storage devices, Google Maps will save only some information for local or for activities in the area. There will be names, customer reviews and phone numbers; there will be photos and users reviews. If you are offline, the route calculation will be naturally less precise without being able to take advantage of machine learning algorithms, Google Maps will give an estimate of travel time, but in the absence of an internet connection will be based on real-time traffic.

At the time, always to the limits of storage, offline maps do not allow to calculate routes on foot or by public transport, but only by car. Offline browsing is of course useful for frequent travelers or for those who need to use the feature in outlying areas Amanda Bishop Google stressed that can be exploited by all users even though it is in a particularly covered. Save offline maps can reduce load times and provide an enhanced user experience with the app that mixes the two modes of use, online and offline, to ensure the highest possible performance.

” The app now seems much faster. The expectations are over for good, ” he specified the Google spokesman. The roll-out of the functionality is already started on Android and can be forced manually updating the application via Google Play Store. It will come ” soon ” also on iOS, but we do not know the exact timing.