The Google Maps app is awesome鈥攗ntil it isn鈥檛. On back roads without a cell signal, you were听better off with a trusty topo or paper atlas.听
That changed a few weeks ago when听Google announced that its maps, destination searches, and turn-by-turn directions will be available offline,听using听the phone鈥檚 built-in GPS chip rather than its cell antenna.听The feature is currently only available for Android (Google says iOS is coming) and it only works for roads, but it鈥檚 a big step toward enabling backcountry users and world travelers to rely on the digital guides no matter where they're going.听
But while the feature sounds great in theory, I wanted to听find out how well it听worked in the field. First,听I downloaded a map of a Muizenberg, a popular听surf town just outside Cape Town,听South Africa. I found the town in听the app,听then zoomed out a bit so I had a map of the surrounding area, too.听Next, I hit the download button,听and Google warned听me that the map would take 1.5 gigs听of memory鈥攚hich is fairly reasonable, as the map encompassed Muizenberg, all of nearby Cape Town, many of its suburbs,听as well as the Cape of Good Hope (several hundred square miles all together). Most phones听have plenty of space for a couple听maps this size.听The biggest map Google will let you download听covers 120,000 square kilometers鈥攐r about half the United Kingdom.听Google officials warned me that the app听prefers to download maps over WiFi to avoid racking up a big data bill, but you can override that feature if needed.听
Once the map was on my phone (it stays there for 30 days and then expires, but you can re-download),听I turned off the cell signal. I found I听could easily search for locations (restaurants, addresses, etc.) within my specified geographic area, and could have received turn-by-turn directions from the middle of Cape Town to the beach at Muizenberg. The app functioned just the same as if I was connected to a cell tower.
For my U.S. test, I downloaded a map of eastern New York and then used it to navigate to a local mountain-bike trail system called Lippman Park in Wawarsing,听where cell coverage is lousy. Once again, navigation was spot-on, even when the cell signal disappeared听entirely.
Bottom line: The feature is perfect for international travelers who don't want to hassle with a data plan and for adventurers who frequently find themselves out of cell range.听It also seems like it would be useful for navigating Google鈥檚 ski-resort and trail maps, where cell service is often non-existent, but there鈥檚 no word yet on whether the company will make these services available. We sure hope they do.听