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

Using Google Maps with wifi

G

Geordie Ahmed

Member
Hello

Recently got my first smartphone (Desire obviously :) ) - still getting used to it

My question is about Google Maps - is it possible to use Google Maps with wifi alone? Does anything else need to be turned on and do they cost extra?

(I do have 500MB of Data Usage available)

(Apologies in advance if its a dumb question :o )
 
Not counting navigation?

Well, it requires an insignificant amount of data sent in order to triangulate your position(or the GPS chip, but even that uses 3g a little), but the drawing of maps can be done through wifi alone.

On the move, however, it will need data to draw the maps, utilizing either wifi or 3g.

Unless you only have like 10mB to spare at the end of the month, do not worry about it.
 
You can use maps with WiFi, no extra charges. But you cannot cache maps when on WiFi and then jump into your car. Google maps needs a constant data connection.
 
Yenzehn said:
To locate you, not for navigation.
Click to expand...

The article you linked to is regarding 3g data and Google nav which is not what the OP asks.

To clarify for the OP.

You can use Google maps with WiFi no charge beyond that for the WiFi.

You cannot use maps when you leave a WiFi hotspot.
 
No, but access to wifi would be fairly limited when you are on the move.

If you have some sort of unlimited 3g service for your car and it has built in wifi or you ride a train with free wifi, by all means, you can use it.

The thing is that google maps has no pre-installed maps, so it downloads routes etc on the spot, and this translates to (according to the guy i linked before) about 8 miles for every mB.
 
In Navigation, you can d/l the route with wifi and then travel thr opute with the cached maps with no 3g data at all. However if you go off route then you'll need 3g to be able to reroute as it needs to draw the extra maps. I drove about 50 miles on the preloaded cached route no problem.
 
what if I make my EVO a hotspot and use the Droid for GPS? Then can I use navigation on the go with an un-activated Droid? I know it's ridiculous. Just wondering if it'll work.
 
wuthton said:
Yes.
Click to expand...

Wrong. You can set up your route in Navigation via Wifi, and then continue on your journey with both wifi and mobile data off. As long as you don't stray off the route, all will be well, except for an error right at the the end when it finds it can't download a street photo of your destination.

Ian
 
used navigation on a 42km trip, and it used less than 700k data (including weather and misc status updates)

not exactly a huge amount of data used imo ...
 
It only used the 8mb/mile when navigating with satellite view (which is ridiculously awesome IMO) but normal navigation doesn't use very much data at all
 
Guys, I recently discovered Maverick, a free navigation app that can cache your maps for offline use.. It's really good and I'm planning to buy the pro version even though there's no loss of functionality on the lite version.

chart
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom