Offline GPS is a very important feature for any maps app. You will use it if you’re exploring a foreign city and have data roaming turned off, or if you drive into a dead zone during a road trip.
The good news is that developers have offered multiple offline maps that work without an internet connection. With such apps, you can navigate any terrain with a poor network or no internet connection. However, finding the best offline maps might not be easy but this article is going to guide you.
Here are the best free offline GPS apps for Android.
Best Free Offline GPS Navigation Map Apps for Android
We already know that there are lots of exceptional navigation apps to use when you have a data connection. But what if you need your GPS location when you’re offline? Below are the apps to use but you can still get free data here.
Google Maps
Google Maps provides a way to download and save regional maps for offline use. All you need to do is just a little preparation before you leave home.
To download a map, tap on the More menu (three horizontal lines) in the upper-left corner, then select Offline Maps. Google will recommend some maps for you to download based on your home and frequent locations. You can also tap Select Your Own Map to download another area.
The maximum size of the map you can download is 2GB, which equates to roughly 200 x 120 miles. The app automatically deletes any downloaded maps after 30 days without an internet connection.
Unlike most apps on this list, Google Map does not include ads or in-app purchases. It even comes as a pre-installed app on any Android device. But if your device does not have this navigation app, then you can download it from the Google Play store.
You can also download it for free from here.
Waze
Waze is an online-only map application. This means that you can’t download specific maps for offline use. But the app makes up for this downside by using cache to offer turn by turn directions automatically.
To use this feature, download Waze on your Android device and input your navigation route. Waze then keeps these settings in its cache and offers directions accurately without an internet connection. Surprisingly, this action works on only Android smartphones.
You can download and install Waze from here.
Sygic GPS Navigation and Offline Maps
Sygic is the most-installed offline GPS app in the Google Play Store. In addition to offline map, it features free map updates, voice-guided GPS navigation, and pedestrian GPS navigation for when you’re on foot.
The app can even help save you money. If you have an internet connection, it will automatically alert you about the cheapest nearby parking lots and gas stations, as well as providing 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.
Download: Sygic GPS Navigation and Offline Maps (Free, subscription available)
OsmAnd
OsmAnd yet another map app that offers offline navigation feature and also an online version when you have active data connection.
This app has an amazing features which include voice guidance, lane guidance, live estimated times of arrival, a day/night screen mode, on-the-fly driving routes for when you take a wrong turn, and specialist cycling routes.
Download: OsmAnd (Free, premium version available)
The app provides offline maps with several points of interest for more than 200 countries, thereby making it a must-have item on your next trip. Furthermore, Offline Maps and Navigation gives its users ability to share their location and expected time of arrival via social media.
One of the selling points of the Offline and Navigation app is its ability to monitor the fuel and parking prices within various locations. So if you are travelling on a budget, you should consider downloading this app on your phone. It even keeps you breaking traffic rules by showing the location of speed cameras on its maps.
Although the app has excellent features, it comes with in-app purchases. However, Offline Maps and Navigation is available as a free download.
You can download and install the app from here.
MAPS.ME
MAPS.ME is a complete free GPS app. If you need offline navigation, it’s definitely worth checking out.
In offline mode, you can enjoy a full-featured search function, voice navigation, re-routing calculation, and public transportation. 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 bookings without leaving the app.
The maps are kept up-to-date by OpenStreetMap and are entirely open source.
The developers behind the app have also made a promise. All maps and features will be free forever; there are no plans to introduce a pricing structure. MAPS.ME is ad-supported and you can pay to remove them.
Download: MAPS.ME (Free)
HERE WeGo
HERE WeGo is another app that specializes in offline GPS navigation. It offers offline maps for more than 100 countries.
The offline maps include directions, public transportation ticket prices, car-sharing prices, and train and bus timetables.
When you enter your route, the app will compare car, bike, pedestrian, taxi, and public transportation routes in order to find the fastest and most cost-effective way for you to make your journey. It’ll even let you know whether your trip is predominantly uphill or downhill.
You can access public transportation information for more than 1,300 cities around the world, including most of North America and Europe.
Like MAPS.ME, the HERE WeGo app is ad-supported.
Download: HERE WeGo (Free)
Genius Maps
Genius Maps is yet another GPS app that lets you download offline maps and provides information about local places of interest on free version.
If you want voice guidance, automatic re-routing, speed limit alerts, and live traffic reports, you will need to upgrade to the pro version. You can do so from within the app.
Genius Maps has offline maps available for most of the world. Europe and North America enjoy 100 percent coverage.
Download: Genius Maps (Free)
CoPilot GPS
If you need offline map when driving then this app is for you. In-car navigation is the primary focus of CoPilot GPS. People on foot should avoid it.
The app excels in route planning. For every journey, it gives you three separate options. And 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 feature to find them even if you’re in offline mode.
You can enjoy a free seven-day trial of the premium features. These include 3D maps and an audio navigation assistant. Once the trial expires, the app limits you to 2D offline maps and visual turn-by-turn directions.
Download: CoPilot GPS (Free, subscription available)
MapFactor comes is a highly recommended navigation app on the Google Play store. This comes as no surprise since the app offers frequently updated offline maps for by OpenStreet Maps. It even offers points of interests and speed/camera alerts on all routes.
The app supports maps on all continents, and it offers voice navigation in most languages. It also comes with the additional feature of informing truck drivers of areas with narrow lanes or low bridges.
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.
Download: MapFactor (Free, premium version available)
Verdict
There are lots of GPS apps out there both online and offline but the ones on our list are going to serve you even when you are offline. I hope these GPS apps help you get where you’re going, even without data. But I have to warn you that continuously running GPS apps in the background will quickly drain your battery. I would love to hear your thoughts on the comment section. Share this article if you find it helpful.
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