How to download maps and maps from Google Maps from Android and iPhone smartphones to then be able to view them offline
In many cases it can be useful to have the maps saved on your phone, so you can consult itineraries and roads on a large screen, even without connecting to the Internet (especially if we travel abroad a lot).Downloading maps is possible on Android and iPhone smartphones, using the specific Google Maps function; with the saved map it becomes very simple to navigate offline and orient ourselves while traveling by car or on foot, in order to create a fixed reference that does not necessarily require an internet connection or a specific application.
READ ALSO -> GPS navigators with free offline maps for Android, alternatives to Google Maps
1) Download Google Maps on Android
To download the maps of Google Maps su Android we open the app on our phone, press on our profile icon at the top right, press on the menu Mappe offline and finally press on Select your map.
A box will open with the map area to be downloaded locally; for maximum results we zoom out until we obtain the maximum size of the map (50 square km). After having maximally enlarged the map, press the button at the bottom Download to download it locally.
After saving the map we can repeat the operation to gradually download increasingly larger offline maps (for example, downloading 5 or 6 squares of maps to cover all of Italy). The offline maps update themselves as soon as we are connected to Wi-Fi, so as to always have updated maps available for GPS navigation; if in doubt we can always update it manually by taking us along the path Profile -> Offline Mapsby pressing on the three dots next to the downloaded map and selecting the item Update.
To remove a downloaded map let’s go back to Profile -> Offline Mapspress on the three dots next to the downloaded map and press on Remove.
The map limit is linked only to the internal memory of our phone; it is therefore convenient free up space on Android or bet on one fairly large microSD (on phones compatible with external memory).
2) Download Google Maps on iPhone
On iPhone we can download maps for offline navigation using the app Google Mapsvery similar to the Android app (the apps are very similar).
After adding the app, open it on our iPhone, press the profile icon at the top right, press Mappe offline and then on Select your map. Similar to Android, we zoom out until we create the largest possible map area (50 square kilometers), then press on Download to add it to your phone.
We can manage the downloaded maps by taking us along the route Profile -> Offline Mapsby pressing on the three dots (present next to each map) and pressing on Remove o Update according to our needs.
The quantity of maps that we can download is linked only to the internal memory of the iPhone; consider that each large map takes up around 300 MB, it is best to keep your phone’s memory free before starting to download many maps, as also seen in the guide on how to recover space on iPhone if the storage is full.
For further information we can read our guide on offline maps with navigator for iPhone.
Conclusions
By downloading offline maps from Google Maps we can use thenavigation app even without an Internet connectionthus using the phone as a real navigator for the car or for navigating on foot in large cities (where it is easier to get lost).
If we really want to use the Internet connection outside Italy we can read our guides on how to surf the Internet abroad for free (or almost) come on how to activate a virtual SIM abroad to surf without costs.
If instead we wanted to connect the phone in the car with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay we can read the article above how to connect Android and iPhone in the car.
