Does Google Maps Work Without Data Or Wifi

While navigation is 1 of the most of import uses travelers have for their smartphones, how oft practise you retrieve nigh exactly how a phone knows where yous are and where y'all're going? You might not know that in addition to connecting to cellular towers, your phone is constantly tracking GPS signals from satellites circling the planet—and that yous can use your phone GPS without data for more purposes than you might look.

If you've ever tried to navigate in a identify where your phone has weak or no celluar service, you probably wished y'all could take advantage of offline phone GPS. Fortunately, yous can: GPS signals are raining down around usa at all times, and your phone can connect to them without any real reliance on your cellular company, affect on your information plan, or dependence on the phone mode you are in. These signals are free for all of us to use, so long every bit nosotros have the right apps and a device with which to connect.

In fact, you can even employ an older, retired phone as a GPS unit, so long as the apps will still run on the operating system. Then, once you become back to civilization, your regular smartphone will still exist fully charged and fix to get.

How Authentic Is My Phone GPS Without Information?

Most of the apps I have used measure GPS coordinates to tenths of a second, which is accurate within four to 11 meters, depending on where on the planet you are plotting (accuracy improves equally you move toward the poles).

If that isn't shut enough, within the side by side year technology is coming that volition make some phones authentic to within one pes.

You Don't Have to Be Offline to Use a Telephone as GPS

Many of the well-nigh popular uses for GPS are for folks who are off the grid without access to Wi-Fi or cellular connections, but the applied science'south usefulness is not limited to the backcountry past any means. First, we all know that cell coverage is hardly ubiquitous even in developed areas; heck, my kid's central New Jersey soccer practice field shows "no service" so often that some parents bulldoze a mile downward the road during practice to connect.

Another benefit is preserving battery life; GPS uses are particularly beneficial when you are doing things in areas where cellular service is bachelor but poor, which causes your phone to burn upward battery life trying to connect. Using offline phone GPS tin can besides help you conserve data. This is useful when traveling abroad, where information plans are often costly and express.

Finally, many location-based apps gobble up data voraciously. Your telephone's GPS tracking allows you lot to use them in offline fashion, incurring no information penalty so long as you preload maps and information while connected to Wi-Fi.

Certainly, your cellphone can do more without a jail cell connection than y'all might call up; here are five of the best.

Rail Your Flight in Real Time

Let's get-go with my favorite way to use telephone GPS without information: to runway the flying I'yard on in real time. There are a few apps that do this, just I use Flyover Country, created by University of Minnesota researchers and funded by the National Science Foundation.

The app offers options to view road maps, terrain maps, and satellite maps, including information on geology, underwater core samples, mammal and dinosaur fossils, and landscape features for various destinations as you pass over them in flight.

To use the app y'all need to input and preload all the data along the road while even so on a Wi-Fi or cell connexion. Then, in one case you become into airplane way, all that data is bachelor as you lot fly, along with your basis speed and altitude.

You'll need a window seat for this to work well; in fact, on some flights I have found that I had to have the phone near against the window to obtain and hold a reliable GPS signal.

Get Backcountry Hiking

Smartphones are condign go-to tools for many hardcore backcountry travelers, who can spend days or even months out of range of cellular signals. Many discover phones more space- and weight-efficient than dedicated GPS units, peculiarly since phones can take photos, as well.

This excellent how-to guide makes a compelling case for a smartphone as your go-to GPS tool. Information technology includes some very good battery life management tips, noting that some phones can last five to 10 days without a charge with conscientious apply.

A few of the best backcountry navigation apps include Gaia GPS, AllTrails, iPhiGeNie, and ViewRanger.

Track Your Fitness

A booming number of fettle applications piece of work with offline GPS, including MapMyRide, Strava, MapMyRun, Runkeeper, and MapMyFitness. For virtually of these, using your phone GPS without information will permit you to rail your run, walk, hike, or other outing offline. While yous demand a connexion to take reward of some of the apps' features, using them on GPS-only manner preserves on battery life and data usage, which can be a helpful upside when you are tracking long bike rides or runs.

Fettle Armband for Your Phone

Tune Belt Armband for iPhone

The most quintessential time to save information and coin is during your conditioning- consummate with a robust armband of grade.

Note Your Exact Location

There are all kinds of ways this can exist useful, such equally saving your spot in an airport parking lot or sharing your location with someone else to facilitate a meetup. I know folks who have used GPS coordinates on their phones to mark and/or share things like trailheads, campsites, turn-offs for dirt roads, fishing spots, waterfalls, and abandoned ruins.

The gratis My GPS Coordinates app (available for iOS and Android) has functions to email or text your coordinnates directly from the principal screen, and even shows the accuracy of the GPS signal (it tracks my office desk within 16 to 33 feet depending on signal access).

To share locations y'all obviously demand connectivity, but you lot can log them using GPS and and so share or recall them afterwards.

Utilize Mapping Apps Offline

Finally, in that location are heaps of full-featured offline mapping applications, including the ubiquitous Google Maps and Apple Maps. Many of these are unfortunately somewhat express when information technology comes to GPS-only navigation; Google Maps, for example, allows yous to pre-download a fifty-square-kilometer map for temporary offline use, which will help in some situations merely isn't much use on a longer road trip. To detect alternatives, see 10 Best GPS App and Navigation App Options for Android and 4 Best Offline Maps Apps for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone.

Did we miss whatsoever other great ways to utilise your phone GPS without data? Let us know in the comments.

Cell Telephone Automobile Mount

Make navigation a little safer with a car mount stand up- adaptable to almost all smartphone sizes.

More from SmarterTravel:

8 Helpful Travel Apps You Tin can Use without Wi-Fi
8 Best Wellness Apps for Travelers
The 27 All-time Apps for Solo Travelers

Ed Hewitt is a seasoned globetrotter who brings you a biweekly glimpse into the latest travel news, views, and trends—and how they could affect your travel plans.

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