Although we live in a connected world dominated by mobile networks, there are still limitations in internet speed or in the availability of coverage at specific points. This may affect the experience of using navigation applications, but maps can be downloaded to fix this. In this article we will tell you if it is possible to do this in Apple Maps.
Advantages of downloading maps offline
Data plans that are limited to a specific MB or GB cannot afford to constantly download maps. Of course, the use of map downloading is mostly used when you are out of range of a WiFi connection, whether walking on the street or while driving. That is why having the maps downloaded supposes an important saving of mobile data since they can be downloaded from a WiFi network and then continue to use them freely. In this way they will be available even if you are in an area where there is no coverage to be always oriented and avoid getting lost when having the map downloaded and not having to do it again, being able to do without the data.
When you are going on a trip it is logical that you should constantly use maps to locate important sites. If the trip is abroad, you will rarely have internet or you will be forced to hire a SIM card with limited internet. In these cases, it is obviously recommended to have everything downloaded to the memory of the device in order not to get lost in an unfamiliar city or dedicate the internet to more important functions such as communication.
Use Apple Maps offline but with limitations
In the native Apple Maps application, you cannot use the download map function for offline use. What can be achieved is to download a part of the map to make a route without having to be connected to the internet with numerous limitations. That is, you must previously program the route with an active internet connection so that all the directions and part of the map are downloaded. As soon as the route starts in the application, you can switch to airplane mode and the directions will be followed without problem.
But not everything is positive, since by not having the maps downloaded, it is not possible to consult offline. That is, if you want to change the destination midway or reconfigure the route, you must already have a stable internet connection. This means that this function is not useful at all, since in the case of not having coverage and having to make a query on the maps, you will not be able to do something that will be achieved from the download of the maps that right now is impossible.
Download maps on iPhone
But then … is it impossible to download maps on an iPhone to consult them offline? The answer is no. There are other applications that come to replace Apple Maps and that will allow you to have all the maps downloaded on your iPhone to use them even if you do not have internet, with the same indications. One of the most famous obviously is Google Maps, which can be found for free download in the App Store and can be categorized as one of the best navigation applications for a mobile phone. To do so, you simply have to follow the following steps:
- Open Apple Maps.
- In the upper left corner, click on your profile image.
- Select the option ‘offline maps’.
- Choose the perimeter you want to download offline.
- You must be careful with updating from time to time so that possible changes to the tracks are implemented.
In this way, you can forget in a specific region the fact of not having enough mobile data or lack of coverage. Because in none of these cases will you be left without the possibility of connecting to the browser and tracking the necessary indications.
