How to Download Google Maps for Offline Use

Google Maps is an incredible tool that allows you to locate landmarks, businesses, gauge routes, and even find out how long it will take you to get home from anywhere. One of the most useful features of Google Maps is its ability to be used offline. This means you can download maps on your device and use them without an internet connection. However, downloading maps offline requires some forethought, as you need to do it while connected to the internet.

To start, make sure your device has an Internet connection and you're signed into your Google account. Next, open Google Maps and search for the name of the location you want to save offline. This could be a business, building, or even just the name of a town. Once you've found the location, tap on the name of the location at the bottom of the screen.

You'll then see three vertically stacked dots in the upper right corner of the screen. Tap on these dots to access the menu and select 'Offline maps'. A new screen will appear, asking you to zoom in or out to capture the area you want to save offline. For example, you can save a map that covers an area from Yonkers to the bottom of Brooklyn on the East Coast, or roughly from the Golden Gate Bridge to Redwood City.

Note that you can only save maps smaller than 50km by 50km (that's a little more than 30 miles squared). However, this is still a large enough area to cover many daily commutes and trips. To give you an idea of the distance, it's roughly from the Golden Gate Bridge to Redwood City.

Once you've selected the area you want to save offline, tap on 'Download' and wait for the process to complete. After downloading, you can use Google Maps offline by opening the app and selecting 'Offline maps'. You'll see a list of all the areas you've saved offline, and you can toggle between them easily.

Downloading maps offline may take some extra effort, but it's worth it in the long run. With Google Maps, you can save maps for later use and access them whenever you need to, even without an internet connection.

Google maps offline