We already know that there are many great navigation apps for when you have a data connection. But what if you need your GPS location when you’re offline?
Offline GPS is a vital feature for any map app. You’ll use it if you’re exploring a foreign city and have data roaming turned off, or if you’re driving into a dead zone during a road trip. Here are the best free offline GPS apps for Android.
1. Google maps
Google Maps offers a way to download and save regional maps for offline use; You just need to do a little preparation before you leave home.
To download a map, tap your profile icon in the upper right corner of the screen, then select offline maps. Google will recommend some maps for you to download based on your home and frequent locations. you can also touch Select your own map to download another area.
The maximum map size you can download is 2 GB, which is roughly 200 x 120 miles. The app automatically deletes any downloaded map after 30 days without an internet connection.
For more tips, check out our top tricks on how to use Google Maps like a pro.
Discharge: google maps (Free)
2. Sygic GPS Navigation and Offline Maps
Sygic is the most installed offline GPS app on the Google Play Store. The company has an agreement with TomTom that allows it to provide offline maps for every country in the world.
Over the years, it’s implemented innovative new features, including a live view feature that takes input from your phone’s camera and overlays navigation instructions directly on top of what you see. Other noteworthy features include free map updates, voice-guided GPS navigation, and GPS pedestrian navigation for when you’re on foot.
The app can even help you save money. If you have an internet connection, it will automatically alert you to the cheapest nearby parking lots and gas stations, as well as provide you with information about upcoming speed cameras.
Sygic offers both a free and a paid version. You can try the paid version for seven days when you first download the app.
Discharge: Sygic GPS Navigation & Offline Maps (Free, subscription available)
3. Osm And
OsmAnd is another popular offline GPS and mapping app for Android. There’s also an online mode for times when you have a reliable data connection.
The GPS part of the app has a number of key features. They include voice guidance, lane guidance, live ETAs, a day/night display mode, on-the-go driving routes for when you take a wrong turn, and specialized cycling routes.
In some countries, the offline map even has features like store opening hours and accepted payment methods. Finally, this is an app that skiers should have. There is a paid plugin that displays route maps for many of the world’s most popular resorts.
Discharge: osmand (Free premium version available)
4.MAPS.ME
MAPS.ME is a free GPS app that is definitely worth checking out if you need offline navigation.
In offline mode, you can enjoy full search functionality, voice navigation, alternative route calculation and public transport details. You will also see restaurants, ATMs and places of interest. If you’re online, you can share your location with friends, add bookmarks, and even make hotel reservations without leaving the app. This makes it a great Android app for traveling.
OpenStreetMap keeps the maps up to date and they are completely open source. The developers behind the app also promised to keep all the maps and features free forever; there are no plans to introduce a pricing structure. MAPS.ME is ad-supported.
Remember, you can also use your Android phone as a GPS tracking device with its native Find My Device feature as an alternative.
Discharge: MAPS.ME (Free)
5. MapFactor Browser
MapFactor is another great free GPS app for Android.
When you first launch the app, it will ask you to download maps for offline use. That’s because there’s no online map feature here. Instead, the app offers over 200 standalone individual maps to choose from, including 56 in Europe and 53 in the Americas.
The maps are organized by country, but densely populated areas have sub-regions available. You can also find maps for speed cameras in certain areas. Each map pulls its data from OpenStreetMap, and recent features include Android Auto support, so you can use your maps with your car’s built-in display.
Discharge: MapFactor Browser (Free premium version available)
6. HERE WE GO
HERE WeGo is another app that specializes in offline GPS navigation. It offers offline maps for over 100 countries and includes directions, public transport ticket prices, car sharing prices, and train and bus times.
When you enter your route, the app will compare car, bike, pedestrian, taxi, and public transportation routes to find the fastest and most cost-effective way to get your trip done.
You can access public transportation information for more than 1,300 cities around the world, including most of North America and Europe. If you take a route frequently and know some better shortcuts, you can add them to the app as well.
Keep in mind that using GPS running in the background will quickly drain your phone’s battery, so make sure you know the essential ways you can save battery life on Android to make it last longer. Like MAPS.ME, the HERE WeGo app is ad-supported.
Discharge: Here we go (Free)
7. Copilot GPS
In-car navigation is the main focus of CoPilot GPS, so people on foot should avoid it.
The app excels at route planning and for each trip, it gives you three separate options. Also, for each of the three routes, you can add up to 52 individual waypoints.
CoPilot also has thousands of offline locations such as hotels, restaurants, ATMs, and places of interest. You can use the search function to find them even if you are in offline mode.
You can enjoy a 14-day free trial of the premium features. These include 3D maps and an audio navigation assistant. After the trial expires, the app limits you to offline 2D maps and turn-by-turn visual directions.
Discharge: GPS co-pilot (Free, subscription available)
8. Cool maps
Genius Maps allows you to download offline maps and provides information on local places of interest. It also has voice guidance, automatic rerouting, speed limit alerts, and live traffic reports.
You can try the Pro version for free on a seven-day trial, and if you choose to buy it, you can keep the app forever, with no pesky subscriptions. Genius Maps has offline maps available for most of the world, including over 130 countries, so you should have no problem navigating the world.
Discharge: cool maps (Free)
GPS is great, but watch your battery!
Here are some of the best offline maps for Android that will help you get where you’re going, even without data. But we’ll leave you with a quick warning: Continuously running GPS apps in the background will quickly drain your battery.
If you’re walking, try to leave your GPS turned off as much as possible. If you’re driving, you should consider investing in a car charger, which is an essential smartphone accessory to have in your car. Other than that, these free GPS apps are essential for navigating your travels.