AppleInsider Staff
iPhone owners will soon be able to get the same convenient offline access to maps, navigation information, and point-of-interest data promised to Android users in a future Google Maps update, the search firm said Tuesday.
Users will be able to pre-load specific areas, from an individual city to an entire country. Google Maps will automatically turn to this cache when the internet connection is poor or non-existent, and switch back to live maps when a connection returns.
Point-of-interest search and routing will work entirely offline, Google said, though the former is likely to come with some restrictions. Currently, users can cache specific areas of a map for offline viewing, but interaction is limited without access to mobile data.
No specific timetable has been given for the iOS release, with Google promising only that the rollout is "coming soon."
Google Maps continues to be one of the most popular apps on iOS, consistently ranking near the top ten free apps despite heavy competition. Apple's own mapping service still seems to be climbing out from the hole dug early on by its poor debut, a showing that cost then-iOS chief Scott Forstall his job.
AOL's MapQuest and Nokia's HERE Maps have also siphoned users away, while many urban users have also turned to transit-focused rivals like Citymapper.
Christine McKee
Andrew O'Hara
Malcolm Owen
Andrew Orr
William Gallagher
Charles Martin
32 Comments
thats nice to know. however, too little to late for me. I have moved on.
[quote name="snova" url="/t/190055/google-bringing-expanded-offline-maps-navigation-to-ios#post_2804234"]thats nice to know. however, too little to late for me. I have moved on.[/quote] Moved on to what exactly? Google maps is by far the best solution out there imho.
Apple's lack of offline maps has been an issue for me on many occasions...
Today I used the new Apple Maps transit feature -- for the NY City subway system. Worked perfectly and even displayed exit info on Apple Watch. I know some people harbor distrust of Apple Maps, but for me it's reliable and improving all the time. It has become my primary GPS tool; my standalone Garmin GPS unit has found a new home in the trunk of my car. (It's lonely back there...)
Having said that, I'm glad that Google keeps improving Google Maps. This continues to place pressure on Apple to keep up (or get ahead).
I resorted to using Google Maps when bicycling because Apple Maps keeps-on switching me from Walk to Drive every time I hit 10mph, really annoying.