Google Maps is getting disconnected.
With an update for Android phones released on Tuesday, you will be able to search nearby businesses and get driving directions, including turn-by-turn voice prompts, even if your Internet connection is spotty or non-existent.
Google Inc says a version for Apple Inc’s iPhones will come soon.
The feature is ideal if you are trying to leave an underground parking garage or a remote national park. It is also great if you are traveling abroad and want to conserve on expensive data plans. Google is also targeting users in emerging markets, where cellular speeds are slower and prices are higher relative to typical incomes.
Mapping apps included with Windows phones have long had this feature, but Windows has a tiny market share compared with iPhones and Android.
Offline mapping is also available with some third-party apps, including Nokia’s Here.
Google Maps has had a limited offline feature. It lets you save a small region ahead of time, but it is the equivalent of displaying a paper map in a phone app. You cannot use it for navigation and other tasks we have come to expect in digital maps.
With the new version, you will be able to do most of what you can do now.
You will need to download databases ahead of time, preferably when you have a Wi-Fi connection. To do so, start by searching for a location, such as a city. Then pinch in or out to select what area you want to download.
Larger areas will give you more flexibility for navigation, but they also take up more storage.
As you change your selection, you are told how large the file is and how much storage on the phone you have left.
Once you download an area, Google will periodically refresh the data with new businesses and road changes.
By default, that is done only when you are on Wi-Fi.
What you will not get with offline mapping is traffic information. Once you are back online, Google Maps might suggest a detour if there is unusual backup ahead. You also will not get photographs and user reviews for businesses, but you do get contact information, hours and an overall user rating.
For directions, the feature initially works only with driving. It is not yet available for walking, biking or public transit — so you might still be stuck in subway stations.
In related news, Apple’s freshly launched music service became available on Tuesday on rival mobile devices powered by Android software.
“Welcome Android users to @AppleMusic,” Eddie Cue, Apple senior vice president of Internet software and services, said in a Twitter message.
Apple Music applications tuned for Android-powered gadgets became available on the virtual shelves of Google’s online Play Store.
The company’s new music service had previously been available on devices powered by the technology giant’s own iOS software.
Apple chief executive Tim Cook last month said the music service had about 6.5 million subscribers.
Additional reporting by AFP
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