Offline-Maps-GoogleGoogle has announced that the latest version of Google Maps for Android has an improved offline mode, providing access to turn-by-turn directions and several other features in areas without a reliable cellular data or internet connection. It also confirmed these features will be coming soon to iOS, but did not provide a specific release timeframe.

Google Maps was previously limited to viewing maps while offline, but this update will enable iPhone users to navigate with turn-by-turn driving directions, search for specific destinations and look up information about places, including hours of operation, contact information and ratings, while offline.

Now you can download an area of the world to your phone, and the next time you find there’s no connectivity—whether it’s a country road or an underground parking garage—Google Maps will continue to work seamlessly. Whereas before you could simply 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 or ratings.

Google previewed Offline Maps at Google I/O in May, and will be gradually rolling out the new features to Android and iOS users.

Top Rated Comments

tintifax3k Avatar
134 months ago
This will be awesome for people like me who travel abroad and can download Maps beforehand!
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
taptic Avatar
134 months ago
Microsoft's here app has been doing this rather well for the past couple of months now. 5 gb download for turn by turn, completely offline directions in the United States. And it has maps for almost everywhere, not just the US.

Of course I'll be happy to see which provides more information along with the maps etc.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
err404 Avatar
134 months ago
Apple Maps is going to be forever playing catch up, it seems. Apple should've just started paying the royalty to Google several years ago instead of being cocky and stubborn by deciding to go it alone. Heck, Apple is still trying to roll out transit directions and is doing so at a slow pace.
It was never about being cocky or stubborn. It was about Google wanting access to user data that Apple wouldn't hand over. Google thought they had Apple over the barrel, but Apple ramped up their own maps and dropped Google. It's just business. Apple's model has always been to avoid being dependent upon any single vendor. Tim always has a back out plan.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Good User Name Avatar
134 months ago
Apple Maps is going to be forever playing catch up, it seems. Apple should've just started paying the royalty to Google several years ago instead of being cocky and stubborn by deciding to go it alone. Heck, Apple is still trying to roll out transit directions and is doing so at a slow pace.
Apple stopped using Google for mapping because it was cocky, stubborn, and didn't want to pay a royalty? What's the source for that info?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GenesisST Avatar
134 months ago
Two years ago I bought TomTom for US and Canada for this exact purpose. Would love to get rid of 2GB, but then again, I have a 128GB iP6 about half-full... OCD much?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
maxsix Avatar
134 months ago
It was never about being cocky or stubborn. It was about Google wanting access to user data that Apple wouldn't hand over. Google thought they had Apple over the barrel, but Apple ramped up their own maps and dropped Google. It's just business. Apple's model has always been to avoid being dependent upon any single vendor. Tim always has a back out plan.
That's a terrific warm and fuzzy story suggesting that Apple is on high. At the top of the mountain looking down on "their people" ... protecting them, Apples keeping them safe from harm.

A vast number of iPhone users actually believe this. They believe the Apple corporation is not like the rest, that Apple is not hyper focused on fat profits (as all corporations rightly do ) but more concerned with protecting their flock.

With a pile of evidence so high you can't see over it (our cash) the faithful sing Apples praises. A very impressive demonstration of the power and control of the late Steve Jobs.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 18 Pro Max Rumored to Deliver Next-Level Battery Life

Friday February 6, 2026 5:14 am PST by
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, according to a known Weibo leaker. Citing supply chain information, the Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. Combined with the efficiency improvements of the A20 Pro chip, made with TSMC's 2nm process, the...