Now, Google Maps can be accessed offline

Offline Google Maps are now available for all the maps users in India; and that’s a wonderful update from Google.

It’s not uncommon to have a spotty internet connection in India and this can be really frustrating when you’re trying to find your way to a new place or looking for your next turn while driving.

Nearly a week after releasing it in the US, Google Maps’ offline feature with turn-by-turn directions is now available in many parts of India. From there, the next time you find yourself with an intermittent connection or without an Internet connection at all, Google Maps will continue to work – vowing it doesn’t matter if you’re vacationing in Goa or in an underground parking lot.

The feature has been rolled out to the latest Google Maps version on Android first and the iOS rollout will take place later. The Google Maps app will now let you download and store the map on your phone so that you can quickly access it on the go.

Now, before you leave for a particular destination, you can download the area by searching for it and then tapping “Download”. Simply tap “Download” when on the appropriate location on Maps.

Along with the navigational information, the Google Maps app will store information about specific locations such as hours of operation, contact information, as well as ratings which will also be accessible offline.

The company says it previewed its offline Maps access during Google I/O this past May before introducing the features in select places around the world last week. This data will expire in 30 days, after which you will have to update it to use. When the device has Internet connectivity it will automatically switch to online mode, which enables the full version of app providing live traffic conditions for the current route.