If the internet connection is inaccessible, there is no available wifi or we don’t want to spend our data, there are several options to use the GPS navigator without using the network.

By default, Android uses Google’s location services to find out where your device is located. This means that the mobile will send data to Google (anonymously) from mobile networks and Wi-Fi, completely ignoring the terminal’s GPS system to save energy.

This triangulation system of the position of the device, based on networks is effective, but only up to a certain point, since it depends on the existence of some type of network and lacks the precision of an authentic GPS. However, it is often enough for certain applications to roughly know their location.

To use the networks of your environment and the GPS of the terminal you do not need an Internet connection, Android devices have everything necessary so that the applications can know and use the location of the device without problems, however, knowing our coordinates (the cartographic latitude and longitude) is not enough to know how to go from one place to another. Tp do this, a map is necessary.

If we travel to an unknown place, we have no data network and didn’t download a map to the terminal memory from a Wi-Fi connection, using GPS is impossible. To get full advantage of the GPS on your Android device without Internet connection over mobile data network, you have to get an app to download the maps in advance to be able to use them offline.

Google Maps is a good map application, as long as we know how to download them to be able to use the maps without an Internet connection

1- To locate the area: In the application Google Maps of the device, when entering the name of the city or of the area of our interest, the app will show the map and the name of the place will appear in the white bar at the bottom of the navigation .

2. Select: By pressing the name in that lower white bar, a menu will appear with the possibility to save, share or download the map. We select this last option, we will receive a warning about the space that will occupy the map in your phone and how much memory we have left, the app will ask us to name the map and start downloading it. The maximum allowed size of a map is of an area of 120,000km2.

3. Access: You can find your saved maps by pressing the three lines icon one above the other in the upper left corner of the application, in the middle of the options menu shows “offline areas” or “your sites”.

Maps remain stored for only 30 days, after which they are automatically deleted to free up space on the device.

According to Google’s blog, not only is it possible to view the map offline, but “get directions step by step to get to your destination, search for specific places and get useful information about them like opening hours, reviews and data Contact, plus Google Maps automatically switches offline when the network fails “.

In addition to Google Maps, there are dozens of offline map applications that will help you know where you are at all times, the most important is that you choose the one that best suits your needs and, above all, do not forget to download it to your device before travelling.

 Waze: This app compatible with Android and iOS is designed for users who go by car, allowing you to get routes and see real-time movements, in addition to visualizing possible obstacles along the way. This app goes beyond navigation: it also allows users to take a more active role and share road reports on accidents, police checkpoints or any other danger along the way, helping to give notice to other users about what is coming. It uses satellite technology, so it does not require internet, although they warn that it spends a lot of battery and the application closes automatically if it is in the background and if you have not driven for a while.

Syngic: Uses 3D maps of TomTom a world leader in navigation systems, allowing you to consult alternative routes for each destination, noticing radars and warning in advance if there are changes in the route. It’s free and has a customizable navigation screen, although the paid version offers voice instructions, speed limits and real-time traffic service. It has more than 50 million downloads on Google Play and, like the previous one, is designed for drivers.

Sources:

http://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias/2016/05/160523_tecnologia_como_usar_googlemaps_sin_wifi_yv

http://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-39565924

http://www.tecnonauta.com/notas/435-baja-mapas-a-tu-android-con-google-maps

https://www.xataka.com/aplicaciones/17-trucos-y-algun-huevo-de-pascua-de-google-maps

http://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-39565924