It is now possible to locate destinations without relying on an Internet connection. This made possible thanks to tech giant Google for updating their free map service to all Android-operated devices.
Overtaking behind its competitors like Waze and Apple Map, Google Map users can now locate specific places, get directions and obtain establishment's operation information, such as office hours, contact details and ratings/feedbacks, even if offline.
"Google map is taking steps to help people across the globe find directions and get where they're going, even when they don't have an Internet connection," Amanda Bishop, Google's product manager, said in a blog post. "Now you can download an area of the world to your phone, and the next time you find there's no connectivity - whether it's a country road or an underground parking garage - Google Map will continue to work seamlessly."
To use this new feature, Google users still need to download the map of a certain place before switching to offline mode. If the map has been downloaded, the app will automatically switch to offline mode once the user is out of coverage area. Then when the Internet is detected back, Google Map will transition to online mode again. Users also need not to worry about being outdated as the company constantly updates the maps.
This new feature, however, is not new as Nokia's HERE app had been offering the same out-of-coverage comfort and had been out in the market for quite some time already. Apple, on the other hand, may not have the offline feature but is capable to keep information priorly requested.
A version for iOS-operated devices will be available soon according to Bishop. This step is deemed helpful as more than 60 percent of the world's population do not have Internet connection.
