How to download maps from Google Maps to your microSD card
Google has updated its maps application with two very interesting features that will allow users to follow using the service even when conditions are not too favourable On the one hand, the company has deployed the WiFi Only mode that it had been testing since a few weeks ago. And, on the other hand, now we will have the possibility to download some maps or areas that interest us to our microSD card, thus being able to free up the phone's memory and also use the service when we do not have a mobile connection.Let's see how it works.
WiFi Only Mode
With the new mode WiFi only we can configure Google Maps so that all application functions are available only when the terminal is connected to a WiFi network If we have enabled this option, only the areas that we have previously saved in offline mode will work until we connect to a WiFi network or deactivate this mode. This option, although it may not seem very useful, can be very attractive for users who have a very limited data plan or for those who travel in areas without mobile coverage On the one hand we will have the peace of mind of knowing that the application is not consuming data, and on the other hand we will have the map available even if we lose mobile coverage.
To activate the new function we will have to open Google Maps and go to Settings , by clicking on the vertical bars to the left of Search in Google MapsOnce in Settings we will see the option Wi-Fi Only
Download maps to microSD card
Another of the important novelties included in the new version of Google Maps is the possibility to save our offline areas on the terminal's microSD card This will allow us to free up the phone's internal memory and take more offline maps in case we usually travel through areas that do not have mobile coverage. To save our Offline Zones on the microSD card instead of in the internal memory of the device, we will have to go back to Settings and click on Offline zones, located in a link in blue just below the option we have seen previously,Wi-Fi Only
Once inside the Offline area option, we will have to click on the icon that looks like a nut, located at the top right of the screen. Through this icon we will enter Offline settings One of the options that will appear is Storage preferencesIf we click on it, the terminal will show us the two options: Device and SD Card
Selecting SD Card we will have it configured. From this moment Google Maps will save the areas that we want to keep offline on the memory cardOnce the storage is configured, all we have to do is select the area of the map or the entire map that we want to save. In our example we have selected the map of Belgium To do this we have simply searched for Belgium and selected the result. In the icons that appear at the top you will see that it gives us the option Download The application will notify us of the space that the selected map will occupy. In this case it would be 1,725 GB. We will click on download and the download of the map will begin.
As you can see, the configuration and subsequent download of the map that interests us is tremendously simple. A good way to save mobile connection data and ensure that we can continue browsing even if we lose mobile coverage.
