Caching Google Maps to Use Offline

[endolith]

I use AndNav2, which is now open source, along with Mobile Atlas Creator to save the tiles (used to be Trekbuddy map creator).

href.to - FREE short URL redirection - shorten any url (latest APK)
andnav - Project Hosting on Google Code
https://sourceforge.net/projects/trekbuddyatlasc/

Navigation doesn't work in the US, but it shows your location and heading on the map, and a trace of where you've been, and it can use Google Map tiles with restaurant locations and everything, so it's been quite useful.

There's a bunch others, too.

That said, the development team and I are very, very aware of the desire to have an "offline" mode for Google Maps Navigation. We're currently exploring options about how to provide a better experience when in limited or no data coverage areas, so please look for changes to Navigation in the future. Thanks for understanding.

http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Google+Mobile/thread?tid=3634773013544912&hl=en

 

[flowersinlondon]

The problem with AndNav is you need to know where you are going to go before you leave. Most of the time I want to offline maps are when I am travelling and have no data connection. Something like TomTom or Garmin....Is anything out there?

 

[endolith]

The problem with AndNav is you need to know where you are going to go before you leave. Most of the time I want to offline maps are when I am travelling and have no data connection.

Hasn't been a problem for me. I have about 500 mb of map tiles on my 8 gb card. I downloaded high res tiles for everywhere I know I will be , medium res for places I might be, and low res for everywhere else. I haven't been without a map since.

Something like TomTom or Garmin....Is anything out there?

Mapdroyd is probably more like that. You download an entire state or country at once, and it generates the display on the fly. The maps are much lower quality though.

 

[Nodders]

Doesn't Google Earth do this (which is now on Android - albeit 2.x+ I think)

 

[mscroggi]

I believe Maverick supports this functionality. Plus I find it a very nifty app...

http://help.codesector.com/MapsCache

 

[takeshi]

The problem with AndNav is you need to know where you are going to go before you leave. Most of the time I want to offline maps are when I am travelling and have no data connection. Something like TomTom or Garmin....Is anything out there?

Check out CoPilot.

Personally, I can't imagine messing with manually downloading map tiles but to each his own...

Doesn't Google Earth do this (which is now on Android - albeit 2.x+ I think)

IIRC it downloads as needed.

 

[gasyoun]

Great, now I have to try all 5 of them... Any reviews on these tools available?

 

[markandrews]

I am totally lost on how to download offline maps to my phone

 

[Adamx]

Check out CoPilot.

Personally, I can't imagine messing with manually downloading map tiles but to each his own...


IIRC it downloads as needed.

It can't be too hard to download map data for an entire state if not the entire country. It just isn't something that requires that much space if done efficiently.

If anyone has tried most of these and has a favorite, please post.

 

[Jayziac]

I am totally lost on how to download offline maps to my phone

MapDroyd is pretty easy to use. Just download the app, install it. Launch it up and navigate to select the state/province/country you want to download. They're about 50 MB each. It may take a few minutes depending on your connection's speed. But once that's done it's stored on the SD card and you can bring it up without any data connections.

 

[steakneggs]

How does Google cache their maps? Is there not a way to "trick it" by placing a large cache in this directory (if one such directory exists)?

 

[cxc1010]

MapDroyd is pretty easy to use. Just download the app, install it. Launch it up and navigate to select the state/province/country you want to download. They're about 50 MB each. It may take a few minutes depending on your connection's speed. But once that's done it's stored on the SD card and you can bring it up without any data connections.

Yes. So far, MapDroyd might be the most convenient choice. But it doesn't have address search function. From its official website, it is said that NavDroyd would be available which seems to be more like a navigation app. Anyway, it won't be free, i think.

 

[Synaptyc]

Has anyone tried using gvSIG Mini ? I am currently using it via WiFi. It navigates using GPS too. The one thing I am stumped on is how to save the maps to my SD card so I can use them offline. I am currently in talks with the developer on this matter.
Once I get it working offline, I will post a full "HowTo" on this subject.
VERY great app. check it out!

 

[safeplayer22]

Has anyone tried using gvSIG Mini ? I am currently using it via WiFi. It navigates using GPS too. The one thing I am stumped on is how to save the maps to my SD card so I can use them offline. I am currently in talks with the developer on this matter.
Once I get it working offline, I will post a full "HowTo" on this subject.
VERY great app. check it out!

I hope you find out how to use the maps offline. I would appreciate it when you post the "how to" on here. thanks in advance.

 

[silvermouse]

orux, andnav, and all others offline apps are nice BUT the point is to integrate with all others apps that use the Google map API...

So again, Is there any way to make an offline cache of maps tiles that can be viewed by google maps application ?

 

[boxidau]

Maybe a port of squid caching proxy could be installed on the phone?
That way google maps would pull from the cache rather than your 3G connection, and squid could get extra maps as it needed them.

 

[MCKool]

Heeey, why android is so difficult? It relase many years ago, but still there is no way to put cache of Google maps to directory that used Google Maps application like in iPhone!( SHAME ON ADNROID! Shame!

 

[K-Rizzle]

Would one of those apps work for when a GPS signal is dropped?

I always lose my darn GPS signal, using Sprint Nav or Google Maps. It's very annoying, and lately I've just been using my TomTom because I can't rely on either of my on phone navigations.

 

[wmtoandroid]

Heeey, why android is so difficult? It relase many years ago, but still there is no way to put cache of Google maps to directory that used Google Maps application like in iPhone!( SHAME ON ADNROID! Shame!

It's not that it's difficult, but not practical.

Every time you "zoom" on the google map, you are on a different "layer". The closer you zoom, the more layers are needed to build a map.

I tried downloaded a small area of my province (just the map, not satellite view) and having only a few zoom layers downloaded, this small area ended up being approx. 300-400mb. If I added the next zoom layer, it would have been 1.5gb and likely well over 10gb if I added a few more.

Most people do NOT have that type of space on their phones or SD cards.

When you purchase a GPS app that requires a 2GB SD card for the data, the maps are in vector format, so you can zoom in and out using the same data. Google maps doesn't work like that, so it's quite a bit more difficult to store Google's map data.

 

[MCKool]

It's not that it's difficult, but not practical.

Every time you "zoom" on the google map, you are on a different "layer". The closer you zoom, the more layers are needed to build a map.

I tried downloaded a small area of my province (just the map, not satellite view) and having only a few zoom layers downloaded, this small area ended up being approx. 300-400mb. If I added the next zoom layer, it would have been 1.5gb and likely well over 10gb if I added a few more.

Most people do NOT have that type of space on their phones or SD cards.

300-400mb of small area? Cache google maps for the iPhone is 400mb with maximum zoom and full city! Android work different?

 

[A.Nonymous]

Heeey, why android is so difficult? It relase many years ago, but still there is no way to put cache of Google maps to directory that used Google Maps application like in iPhone!( SHAME ON ADNROID! Shame!

You're incorrect. The first phone running Android didn't come out until October 2008. I think Google Navigation came out with the release of Eclair (but I could be wrong) so it's only been out a year at most. Also, there is no Google Maps application on the iPhone. At least not one that's available in the US.

Edit: It's available, but you can't cache the maps there either. And it's not nearly as robust as on Android.

 

[tiredhiker]

LOCUS is what you are looking for. It will download Google sat maps and give you an option of how many "Zooms" you want downloaed with it. takes awile to download but will resume download. I downloaded border crossings between Vietnam and Cambodia, just in case.... You can just walk through the rice fields...

 

[kingtsy]

I have been using Maps (-) by coderminus. I have cache all the area in Metro Manila and so within Region 3 and 4 and was using it when going out in those area. Give it a try.

 

[MCKool]

Edit: It's available, but you can't cache the maps there either. And it's not nearly as robust as on Android.

No i can! I used iPhone for 3 years and i have cache Google Map of my City full city and maximum zoom! You've probably never used the iPhone if you think so!

 

[ravisghosh]

The requirements are:
1. Get navigation working so that we get directions for going from point a to point b.
2. Get quick access to map for which offline or cache is required so that people without data plan or on 2G can make use of mobile gps.

Now, which apps support it.
MapDroyd doesnt support navigation and maps are too crude (at least for India).