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We already know that iOS 17 will convey an enormous Apple Maps replace to iPhone, the power to obtain maps for offline use. That’s a function we’ve had in Google Maps for years. It could come in useful when touring to areas with poor mobile connectivity or in international nations with costly roaming fees.
Our information on methods to obtain Apple Maps in iOS 17 particulars the process, and the complete course of is sort of easy. When you’ve executed it on Google Maps, you’ll obtain Apple Maps very quickly. However Apple is taking issues to the subsequent stage with offline Apple Maps performance. iOS 17 will recommend Apple Maps downloads when navigating to areas which can be identified to have poor mobile protection.
That’s a superb improve for a navigation app, and it’s one which Google Maps ought to positively copy.
Your complete objective of downloading maps for offline navigation is to make sure you may get round a brand new space with out connectivity. Whether or not the mobile protection is poor otherwise you turned off your 4G/5G information to keep away from roaming fees, offline maps will hold you going — on the situation that you simply’ve already downloaded the maps earlier than attending to the area the place you gained’t have any entry to information.
The issue is that you simply gained’t know whether or not your subsequent vacation spot has ok protection, even if you happen to’re not anxious about information fees. You may suspect it doesn’t if you happen to’re going to a extra distant vacation spot quite than visiting a significant metropolis. However that’s not sufficient. And also you may overlook to obtain your maps to make use of offline.
That’s the place the brand new Apple Maps offline downloads function will come in useful.
As found by a Reddit person, Apple Maps will now let you know that your vacation spot might need restricted service, providing a button to obtain the map. As you possibly can see above, Redditor u/freaktheclown selected Yosemite Nationwide Park because the vacation spot. That’s how Apple Maps may know the area has restricted service.
That stated, it’s unclear the place Apple sources its protection info from. Possibly it’s from general Apple Maps utilization from iPhone house owners or information from wi-fi carriers themselves.
Additionally, it’s unclear whether or not the function can be accessible worldwide or solely within the US.
Nonetheless, it’s a wise Apple Maps function to have, and one Google ought to combine into Google Maps. In any case, the latter already helps offline downloads. All it wants are comparable smarts.
You probably have the iOS 17 beta put in in your iPhone, you possibly can expertise the function proper now. In any other case, you possibly can obtain Apple Maps for offline use in a couple of weeks. That’s when the official iOS 17 launch rolls out to the general public.
