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Google Maps does not download a single route file. Instead, it saves a map area to your phone or tablet. You can then get offline driving guidance only when the complete route—including your destination and any planned detours—falls inside that saved area.
Download the area over a reliable internet connection before you travel, then check that it covers the entire drive. The Android and iPhone/iPad menus are slightly different, and offline mode has important limits: no live traffic, alternate driving routes, public-transit directions, bicycling directions, or walking directions.
What Google Maps downloads for offline use
The official offline workflow saves map data for a geographic rectangle that you select. It is not an export of turn-by-turn instructions, GPX file, or other standalone route file. When you request directions later, Google Maps can calculate and provide driving guidance from the saved data if every part of the trip is inside that rectangle.
A route that starts inside the download but leaves its boundary is not fully covered. For example, downloading a city before a road trip will not help if the motorway, border crossing, or final destination lies outside the selected area. Include the complete drive and reasonable detours when you frame the download.
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Offline downloads are intended for driving. Google says offline public-transit, bicycling, and walking directions are unavailable. Driving also works without traffic information or alternate routes, so the result may differ from what you see while connected.
Check these requirements before downloading
- Use a reliable internet connection while saving the map. A large area can take time and consume substantial device storage.
- On Android, open Google Maps while signed in to your Google account.
- On iPhone or iPad, turn Incognito mode off before downloading.
- Confirm that offline downloads are supported in the country or region where you will travel. Google excludes some areas because of contractual limitations, language support, address formats, or other reasons.
- Make sure the selected area includes the entire intended drive, not just the departure and arrival pins.
- Check available internal storage, or prepare a compatible portable-storage SD card if you are using a supported Android device.
Download an offline driving area on Android
Method 1: Start from a searched place
- Connect to the internet, open Google Maps, and sign in.
- Search for a city, address, landmark, or other place involved in your trip.
- Tap the place to open its place sheet.
- Tap More, choose Download offline map, and tap Download.
- After the download finishes, open Offline maps and confirm that the saved boundary covers the whole drive.
This method is convenient when the destination is known, but the suggested area may not include a distant starting point or a long approach road. Inspect the boundary rather than assuming that searching for the destination downloaded the route itself.
Method 2: Select the map area yourself
- Open Google Maps and tap your profile picture or initial.
- Choose Offline maps.
- Tap Select your own map.
- Move and zoom the map until the rectangle contains your starting point, every road segment, the destination, and any likely detours.
- Tap Download and wait for the map to finish saving.
For a long journey, you may need to select a broad area or create more than one adjacent download. The important check is geographic coverage: no section of the planned drive should sit outside the saved rectangle.
Save Android maps to a portable SD card
On supported Android phones and tablets, offline maps can be stored on a portable-storage SD card instead of internal storage.
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- Insert the card and ensure the device recognizes it.
- In Google Maps, open the profile menu and choose Offline maps.
- Open the offline-map settings and select SD card under storage preferences.
- Download the map again to the selected storage location.
Google states that Android 6.0 or later requires the card to be set up as portable storage. Device support, card capacity, and the exact storage-settings label can vary. Changing the storage method requires downloading the map again, so do it before creating a large map area.
Download an offline driving area on iPhone or iPad
- Connect to the internet and open Google Maps.
- Make sure Incognito mode is off.
- Search for a place, then tap its name or address to open the place details.
- Tap More, choose Download offline map, and tap Download.
- Open Offline maps afterward and inspect the saved area against your complete route.
Select a custom iOS/iPadOS area
- Open the profile menu in Google Maps.
- Tap Offline maps.
- Choose Select your own map.
- Pan and zoom the selection until it contains the entire drive and any relevant detours.
- Tap Download.
The iPhone and iPad process saves an area in the same way as Android. The platform-specific prerequisite is that Incognito mode must be disabled while you download and manage the offline map.
Verify coverage before you lose signal
Do not rely only on the fact that a download completed. Open the Offline maps list and select the saved area. Compare its visible boundary with the route you intend to drive. Check motorway approaches, rural sections, border crossings, mountain roads, and the final address; these are easy to leave outside a city-sized selection.
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A practical pre-trip check
- Open the saved map while still connected.
- Confirm the departure point and destination are both inside its boundary.
- Trace the planned road visually from end to end, including planned stops and detours.
- Update the map if it is old or close to expiry.
- Before leaving, verify that the download still appears in Offline maps.
What works offline—and what does not
| Capability | Offline availability | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Turn-by-turn driving guidance | Available when the entire route is inside the saved area | Guidance comes from the downloaded map data, not live network data. |
| Traffic conditions | Not available | Congestion, incidents, and current travel-time changes cannot be supplied offline. |
| Alternate driving routes | Not available | You will not receive the connected mode’s traffic-based alternatives. |
| Public-transit directions | Unavailable offline | Download a map area does not make transit schedules or directions available. |
| Bicycling directions | Unavailable offline | Offline map data cannot provide this mode’s directions. |
| Walking directions | Unavailable offline | Walking navigation requires a connection. |
This means an offline download is a backup for a covered drive, not a complete replacement for connected Google Maps. Plan fuel, road closures, weather, and traffic decisions without expecting the app to refresh them after the signal disappears.
Keep offline maps current
Google says offline maps expire. When a saved map is within 15 days of expiry and the device is connected to Wi-Fi, Google Maps tries to update it automatically. You can also update it manually from the Offline maps list.
- Connect the device to Wi-Fi before your trip.
- Open Google Maps and go to Offline maps.
- Select the relevant map and choose the available update option.
- Wait for the update to complete, then recheck the boundary against your route.
Download or update shortly before travel rather than assuming a map saved months ago is still valid. An update can also refresh the selected area’s underlying road information, but it does not add traffic or alternate-route functionality to offline mode.
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Regional and app limitations
Some locations cannot be downloaded
Offline map availability is not universal. Google identifies contractual limitations, language support, address formats, and other regional factors as reasons that some countries or areas do not support offline downloads. Check Google Maps in the destination region before you plan to depend on it.
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Google Maps Go is not supported
Google Maps Go does not support downloading map areas or offline navigation. If the download controls are absent because you are using Maps Go, the offline-area workflow described above is not available in that app.
Storage differs by device
Internal storage is the default location on many devices. Supported Android hardware may offer a portable-storage SD-card option, but an SD card is not required for everyone and is not available on every phone or tablet. Check both device compatibility and free space before selecting a large area.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot common download problems
The “Download offline map” option is missing
- On Android, confirm that you are signed in.
- On iPhone or iPad, exit Incognito mode.
- Check whether the destination is in a region where offline downloads are supported.
- Confirm that you are using the full Google Maps app rather than Google Maps Go.
- Update the app over a connection if an update is available, then reopen the offline-map menu.
The route works at first but later leaves offline coverage
Open Offline maps and inspect the boundary. Download a larger custom rectangle that includes the missing road, destination, and detours. A download centered on one place does not guarantee coverage for a long drive that extends beyond that place.
The map is listed but will not provide current conditions
This is expected offline behavior. Traffic information and alternate driving routes are not part of the offline feature. Reconnect when you need live conditions, or make decisions using current road information from another available source.
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The saved map is expired or outdated
Connect to Wi-Fi and update it from the Offline maps list. If automatic updating did not occur, start the update manually. Recheck coverage after updating, especially if your itinerary changed.
There is not enough internal storage
Reduce the selected area, remove maps you no longer need, or—on a supported Android device—switch storage to an SD card configured as portable storage. Because changing storage requires a new download, perform the switch before travel and wait for the replacement map to finish.
A short pre-departure checklist
- Use the full Google Maps app, not Google Maps Go.
- Connect to reliable internet and download a map area rather than looking for a route-file export.
- Stay signed in on Android; keep Incognito mode off on iPhone and iPad.
- Confirm the complete driving route is inside the selected boundary.
- Check the download’s status and update it if it is near expiry.
- Allow enough internal storage, or verify portable SD-card support and setup on Android.
- Plan for no traffic, alternate routes, transit, bicycling, or walking guidance while offline.
- Check regional availability before relying on the feature abroad.
Bottom line
To use Google Maps for offline driving, save a map area from Offline maps before you travel and make that area large enough to contain the entire journey. Android and iPhone/iPad provide nearly identical download choices, with Android adding supported SD-card storage. Offline guidance is useful as a connection backup, but it cannot replace live traffic, alternate driving routes, or non-driving directions.
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