Did you know you can use Google Maps when traveling abroad without using WiFi or Data? Wha What?? Is this for real?? YES, IT IS! It will even show the blue dot that pings your location.
Let’s face it, international data is expensive. To avoid these fees, we do things like take screen shots of the map ahead of time. That’s fine, but it doesn’t tell you where you are in relationship to where you are going and won’t let you zoom in any further than the original screen shot. But the alternative is to turn on your phone’s data service at about a billion dollars per megabyte.
So follow these steps EXACTLY as shown prior to heading out and you will never be lost again! (These instructions are for the IPhone but it works on droids as well)
1. While still at your hotel, café or wherever you are connected to WiFi, open your Google Map app.
2. Type in the city where you are going in the search bar at top of screen.
3. When you see your city, open the menu (3 bars on top left of screen).
4. Click on offline areas.
5. Click custom area.
6. At this point you can zoom in or out a bit. Then click download.
7. You can rename your area with something more specific if you like and then save. (Use the pencil on right to edit)
8. If you are going to a specific location, like a hotel, follow these next steps.
9. Type in the name of your hotel in the search bar. When you see it, touch the red pin. Click save to “Starred places”.
10. Close the app and go into airplane mode (or at least turn off your WiFi or data).
11. Reopen app. Your destinations are now starred and your blue dot is pinging your location! You can zoom in as much as you need.
Voila!!
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