When Apple released iOS 17 in September, it brought new features, like StandBy mode and Live Stickers, to iPhones. Apple’s Maps app also got a major new feature: offline maps. With offline maps, you can download designated areas from your Maps app onto your iPhone. But before you start using the feature, how well does it work?
Here’s how you can access offline maps, and what to know about them before you step foot out the door.
How to download a map to use offline
It can be a good idea to have a map of an unfamiliar area, like a new town or hiking path, in case you don’t have Wi-Fi access or a cell signal. So here’s how you can download a map to use offline.
1. Open the Maps app.
2. Find the area you want to download a map for and long press on the area. A pin should drop on your screen.
3. Tap Download at the bottom of your screen.
An outline will appear over your map. This outline represents the area which you will download a map for. You can resize this map until you’re satisfied and then tap Download to start downloading the map. A banner will announce when your map is finished downloading.
Here’s how you can access your offline maps settings page after you’ve downloaded them.
Offline maps will show you how long it will take you to drive to your destination based on predicted traffic, not real-time traffic.
There are a few differences between offline and online maps. The biggest issue is it won’t know exactly when you’ll get to your destination. When you look up directions, offline maps will display an estimated time of arrival, but they can’t take into account real-time traffic patterns since it’s offline.
When I used offline maps to find my way to a downtown restaurant after an NFL game, for example, offline maps told me it would take me about 15 minutes to get to my destination. In reality, it ended up taking me about 40 minutes to fight through traffic and get to dinner.
That leads to my second issue with offline maps: If you veer off its path, it takes a while to recalibrate and find you again. When getting through the traffic mentioned above, I took a few impromptu turns down side streets and offline maps still showed me where I turned off the path for a minute or so.
Otherwise, offline maps take things back to the days of physical maps. You may not be able to predict how much traffic will delay your drive, and if you take a wrong turn it might take you a second to figure out how to get back, but you can get to your destination… eventually. Pack some snacks just in case.
For more, check out the new features in iOS 17.2, what could be included in iOS 17.3 and our iOS 17 cheat sheet.
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features and Settings on Your iPhone
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Article source: https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/ios-17-everything-you-should-know-about-offline-maps/#ftag=CAD4aa2096