• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

Help saved/pre-downloaded google maps ???

S

sammmy

Newbie
Is there an app for this phone that will make it save a given google map on the card and use that map for navigation?


I will be traveling in Europe and I want to use the GPS navigation without having a data or Wi-Fi connection.
 
sammmy said:
Is there an app for this phone that will make it save a given google map on the card and use that map for navigation?


I will be traveling in Europe and I want to use the GPS navigation without having a data or Wi-Fi connection.
Click to expand...

No Google Navigation / Maps needs data,there is a couple of GPS aps that install maps on the sd card,but they cost money.
 
Navigation (updated driving directions) requires a data connection, but using the phone as a GPS mapping device doesn't -- if you get one of the apps that pre-downloads map tiles and stores them.
 
Several apps allow you to download map tiles and then navigate. I can confirm that you do not need a data connection for GPS to work with them.
 
sammmy said:
Is there an app for this phone that will make it save a given google map on the card and use that map for navigation?


I will be traveling in Europe and I want to use the GPS navigation without having a data or Wi-Fi connection.
Click to expand...

I've been saying all along, this is a real disadvantage of Google's GPS. A GPS should operate anywhere, not just when you have a data connection. Look at a map of 3G coverage in the US and consider your GPS doesn't work in about 90% of the surface area of our country.

I realize that there's a benefit to feeding the maps live. You'll get the most updated info available and you don't have to eat up lots of storage space on your device to store the maps.

But that doesn't make up for the fact that there are many times you to use your GPS when you don't have a data connection.

It's crazy, Google usually gets things right but this is one that they are getting wrong.

The obvious solution is to let people download the map sets if they want, as an option. Then when you are using your gps, if there is a data connection available, you can turn on the "live feed" feature or turn it off. The live feed could overlay the stored map data as you drive, instead of they way it works now, with just blank page in the background. Very frustrating when you're driving along and all of the sudden your maps disappear. Also let people update their map sets before they go on a trip. Seems so obvious, not sure why they're not doing it. Someone said they have a deal with the providers to ensure people keep using their data connections.
 
Gary, the built-in Google Maps program DOES use cached map imagery and works fine (for mapping, not directions) when there's no data connection available. The only limitation is that it only stores so many tiles in the cache.
 
adam97202 said:
Gary, the built-in Google Maps program DOES use cached map imagery and works fine (for mapping, not directions) when there's no data connection available. The only limitation is that it only stores so many tiles in the cache.
Click to expand...

yeah, and what exactly does "so many" tiles mean? It's a complete unknown. Of course the exact time you want it, like when you're on a long stretch of highway, or a backroad somewhere, everything disappears.

i've heard all the arguments for.... but never a valid reason why they can't just let us download the maps so we're covered everywhere we go. that's the way all other "real" gps navigations work. having ANY time or place where the maps can all of the sudden disappear just makes no sense.

Google maps and nav has so many other great features, I'd really prefer to use it over the other gps programs, but this defficiency is such an issue i'm going to be forced to try out Copilot.

this is a case where we could have it both ways, if they would just let us. Just give us a download maps function. when there's a data connection use it. when there isn't, use the downloaded maps. not rocket science.
 
I bought and use CoPilot, it's only $5 and works very well with no data required. You'd have to check their site and see if they offer European maps though, and which ones.
 
I believe I read yesterday that Google is going to add downloading for offline use. Don't recall the timeline for this, but the article said Garmin and Tom Tom would be upset.
 
I totally agree that the offline feature should have been included all along. Heck, I bought an unlocked Nokia 5800 a year ago (not exactly my best purchase) and it comes with Ovi maps, which allows me to download maps for almost all populated countries worldwide. Ovi maps is free, gives me walking and driving navigation anywhere I go, and was the main reason why I went with Symbian at the time. Now that I have an Optimus V, I am still keeping my Nokia around as a world phone so that I can use it as an international GPS. This is one area where Symbian has always been ahead of Android and iOS.

Meanwhile, I have downloaded Gaia GPS from Amazon when it was free app of the day. It does allow me to download maps of specific areas. It also supports different sets of maps, including topological ones. No navigation though.

garybeck said:
yeah, and what exactly does "so many" tiles mean? It's a complete unknown. Of course the exact time you want it, like when you're on a long stretch of highway, or a backroad somewhere, everything disappears.

i've heard all the arguments for.... but never a valid reason why they can't just let us download the maps so we're covered everywhere we go. that's the way all other "real" gps navigations work. having ANY time or place where the maps can all of the sudden disappear just makes no sense.

Google maps and nav has so many other great features, I'd really prefer to use it over the other gps programs, but this defficiency is such an issue i'm going to be forced to try out Copilot.

this is a case where we could have it both ways, if they would just let us. Just give us a download maps function. when there's a data connection use it. when there isn't, use the downloaded maps. not rocket science.
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom