Download the map of your city for offline use

You may have wondered how your city's mole-people so accurately navigate the subterranean world without cellular data. The answer is simple and has benefits beyond getting to the underground ball on time.

Downloading your city's map for offline use is easy. Offline maps load instantly, save your data allowance, and allow you to use your maps when you have no signal.

Some real circumstances where you might not have signal and might want a map.

• You are underground. Although our world and the mole-people's world have remained separated since the great dirt war, the accords contained carve-outs to allow for mass transit through underground tunnels. Just the other day I used my maps while underground to work out where I needed to exit my station.
• You are in the sky. Your phone is on airplane mode and you're planning your onward journey.
• You are in a big crowd. Mobile networks become congested with unusually large crowds like sporting events, concerts, or New Years Eve fireworks.¹
• You are protesting against a tyrannical regime. Protests are often large crowds and suffer congestion issues — but the network can be down for other reasons too. As I write this (February 2026) Iran is still under an internet blackout imposed by the government to suppress protests.² In the USA Stingrays (devices that pretend to be legitimate cell towers) are used to monitor protests.³ These devices downgrade the network connection of anyone nearby to 2G.
• And many more! Including natural disasters, unnatural disasters, and apparently squirrels.⁴

How to download maps for offline use

How to use offline maps on Apple Maps (on iPhone or iPad)

Apple Maps allows you to download maps for offline use on iOS and iPad OS, but not on MacOS.

1. Make sure your device is connected to Wi-Fi.
2. Open the Maps app.
3. Tap your profile picture next to the search bar.
4. Tap Offline Maps
5. Under the Settings header tap Downloads and select Wi-Fi Only. This will prevent the maps app from using gigabytes of your data allowance to download a map.
6. Tap Download New Map
7. A map will open with an overlayed rectangle. Use this rectangle to select the area you want to make available offline. Once you've chosen an area tap Download.
8. Under the Settings header enable Only Use Offline Maps. This forces your device to use offline maps even if you have cellular data.

How to use offline maps on Google Maps

1. Make sure your device is connected to Wi-Fi.
2. Open Google Maps
3. Tap on your profile picture in the top right hand corner.
4. Tap Offline maps
5. Tap Select your own map
6. A map will open with an overlayed rectangle. Use this rectangle to select the area you want to make available offline. Once you've chosen an area tap Download.
7. Once the map has downloaded tap the settings button (it is shaped like a cog).
8. Tap Download Preferences and select Over Wi-Fi only.

Do directions work in offline maps?

Yes. On Apple Maps all directions including walking, driving, cycling, and trains and buses work. Changes to the scheduled transit routes will require data though.

On Google Maps driving works offline but all the other modes of travel require the internet.

Does GPS work in offline maps?

Yes. GPS doesn't require data at all. It will struggle when you're underground though.

Tags

• saving money
• saving data

Published

9 Feb 2026

Updated

9 Feb 2026