Save Data And Storage With New Offline Features On Google Maps

From today, it will be easier to prepare for those long stretches of wifi-free road while still saving on device storage and data, with the launch of  SD card support and “Wi-Fi only” mode for Google Maps on Android.

Now, in addition to saving an area of the maps for offline use later, if you have a device that supports SD cards, you can opt to save your downloaded maps to an external SD card (if your device supports them) and free up storage space for important stuff like your holiday snaps or road trip playlists. Now you’ll never have to choose between snapping more food photos or the ability to navigate offline.

You can also choose to save on mobile data by taking Google Maps completely offline. Once you’ve switched to  “Wi-fi only”, the Google Maps app will work completely offline — no Wi-Fi needed! You will still be able to use other apps and the rest of your phone as you normally would. And you might even save on battery life too. If you need to see what the traffic is like or update your offline maps, you can easily switch back to online mode by changing your setting or finding the nearest Wi-Fi.

New Google Maps Features Help You Plan Your Next Road Trip

Planning road trips in India just became a little easier. With the latest update on Google Maps on Android (coming soon to iOS), now you can plan your road trip with multi-stop directions.

Just open the app, enter a destination, tap the corner menu, and then click “Add stop”. To rearrange the order of your stops, tap and hold the three dot menu to the left of “Add stop” and drag it to the position you want – you can even search for types of places like petrol pumps, ATMs or restaurants like you normally search. You can add as many stops as like and once you’re done, tap “Finished” and your multi-stop routing is complete.

New update on Google Maps to allow pit stops in navigation mode

You’re on a road trip and realize you’re running low on fuel, but you’re not sure whether it’s best to turn back to the last petrol station you saw, or see if you can make it to the next one. With today’s update on Google Maps for Android, making that decision just got a little easier. You can now search for and add an extra stop to your route, without having to exit navigation mode in Google Maps. 

This ensures quicker pit stops and fewer long detours as users can search for places like gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores and more along their route on Google Maps. Google Maps will also show you how long a stop will add to your trip while keeping you on your route.

It's very simple. For example, you're driving in navigation mode and suddenly get a call from your partner to pick up some groceries on your drive home, or if you're on a road trip and you suddenly decide to find a great restaurant option along your route, simply tap the magnifying glass at the top right corner of the screen. You’ll see a drop-down menu with helpful options, like petrol pumps, grocery stores, and restaurants. If the drop-down options aren't what you need, you can now even add a detour to your favourite coffee shop by tapping the search icon or by using voice commands. So whether you're low on fuel, need cash and looking for the closest ATM, or just want to grab a coffee before your next appointment, this new feature from Google Maps will make your pit-stop easier.

Google Maps offline now available in India

Google has made life easier with the launch of new offline functions in Google Maps. You can now download an area of the world to your phone, and the next time you find there’s no connectivity — whether you’re going on a road trip to Goa, or looking up directions to your next destination from an underground parking  — Google Maps will continue to work. Whereas before you could view an area of the map offline, now you can get turn-by-turn driving directions, search for specific destinations, and find useful information about places — like hours of operation, contact information and ratings — all without an internet connection.

You can go to "Offline Areas" in the Google Maps menu and tapping on the "+" button. Once you've downloaded your map, Google Maps will still work when you’re making your way around Delhi, even when you’re somewhere with spotty service or no connectivity at all. When a connection is found, it will switch back online so you can easily access the full version of Maps, including live traffic conditions for your current route. Google Maps will, by default, download areas to your device only when you are on a Wi-Fi connection.

"Having a spotty internet connection shouldn't mean you miss your next turn. With the launch of these new offline features, like turn by turn navigation and the ability to search for places, we hope it will be easier for people in India to find their way using Google maps." explains Suren Ruhela, Director, Google Maps.

Google has rolled out the first set of these improvements with the latest version of Google Maps on Android and very soon will be seen on iOS devices in India. 

Indian Railway Schedules Now On Google Transit

Indian Railways schedules will now be available on Google Transit, a feature on Google Maps.

The current update will allow access to information for 12,000 trains, as well as updated details for bus and metro routes from Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune.

"Google Transit is part of our effort to make Google Maps more comprehensive, accurate and useful for millions of people around the world who take buses, trains, metros or trams to their next destination," Google Maps director, program management, Suren Ruhela said. "We hope that the addition of the Indian Railways schedules pan-India and updated information for eight cities to Google Transit in India will make it a little easier to plan your next trip," he added.

Google Maps as of now has public transportation schedules for more than one million transit stops worldwide in 2,800 cities, including New York, London, Tokyo and Sydney.

Since 2005, Google has collaborated with hundreds of public transit agencies worldwide to make their schedule information accessible to all Google Maps users.