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Thursday, May 8, 2014

Google Maps Supports Offline Mobile Mapping

As reported by GigaOm: Google updated its Google Maps apps for both iOS and Android on Tuesday, and with it comes a feature some users have been wanting for a long time — a clear, simple button to save maps offline.

To find the “save map to use offline” button, simply look up a location on either iOS or Android. Scroll to the bottom of the place info sheet; if you’re looking up a restaurant, for instance, the button will be buried underneath user reviews, the user review summary, and other options. While the ability to save maps for times when you won’t have a signal would seem to be a basic feature, the iPhone didn’t get it until last July, and even then users needed to know the secret password-style command “OK maps.”


Aside from offline maps, this update seems to be a big one. On the iPhone, it’s landmark version number 3.0.0, and it comes with a number of new features.

Google Maps now can tell you the best lane to get in on the highway, so you don’t miss an exit. Google has added several filters to its business directory search, including the long-awaited “open now.” There’s also a little bit of Uber integration, and transit directions will now tell you when the last train is coming. Handy!

The update is already available for iOS and will be rolling out to Android phones over the next few days.

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