When Apple launched iOS 17, it introduced new options, like StandBy mode and Stay Stickers, to iPhones. Apple’s Maps app additionally bought a serious new function: offline maps. With offline maps, you may obtain designated areas out of your Maps app onto your iPhone. Should you plan on driving dwelling for the vacations, you could be tempted to make use of offline maps, however how properly does the brand new function work?
To search out out, I downloaded a map of my hometown and used it to get round for a few days. My spouse and I went to get espresso downtown earlier than strolling to an outside market, we drove again to our dwelling and went again downtown for dinner after an NFL recreation ended. I additionally used offline maps to drive to and from my health club, in addition to to stroll my canine across the neighborhood.
This is how one can entry offline maps, and what to find out about them earlier than touring for the vacations.
The way to obtain a map to make use of offline
It may be a good suggestion to have a map of an unfamiliar space, like a brand new city or mountain climbing path, in case you do not have Wi-Fi entry or a cell sign. So here is how one can obtain a map to make use of offline.
1. Open the Maps app.
2. Discover the world you wish to obtain a map for and lengthy press on the world. A pin ought to drop in your display screen.
3. Faucet Obtain on the backside of your display screen.
An overview will seem over your map. This define represents the world which you’ll obtain a map for. You’ll be able to resize this map till you are happy after which faucet Obtain to begin downloading the map. A banner will announce when your map is completed downloading.
This is how one can entry your offline maps settings web page after you’ve got downloaded them.
Once you use offline maps, you will see a banner throughout the highest of your Maps app.
1. Open the Maps app.
2. Faucet your profile image within the bottom-right nook of your display screen.
3. Faucet Offline Maps.
From right here, you may entry settings like including a brand new offline map and a change to set Maps to solely use offline maps. Should you toggle the change to solely use offline maps, you will see Utilizing Offline Maps throughout the highest of your map. You’ll be able to faucet this to get again to the offline maps settings web page, too.
Offline maps will get you there, however anticipate just a few points
Utilizing offline maps was much like utilizing the Maps app when on-line. You open your Maps app, kind in the place you wish to go and hit Go. You may as well choose your mode of transportation and whether or not you wish to add any stops alongside the best way.
Once you’re on the street, offline maps act equally to on-line maps. The map follows you and exhibits close by eating places and companies. Should you’re driving, offline maps may also present you the pace restrict for the road you are on. Siri will learn out instructions the entire method, telling you when to show and the place your vacation spot is on the road.
Offline maps will present you the way lengthy it should take you to drive to your vacation spot based mostly on predicted site visitors, not real-time site visitors.
There are just a few variations between offline and on-line maps. The largest problem is it will not know precisely while you’ll get to your vacation spot. Once you lookup instructions, offline maps will show an estimated time of arrival, however they cannot take note of real-time site visitors patterns because it’s offline.
Once I used offline maps to seek out my solution to a downtown restaurant after an NFL recreation, for instance, offline maps advised me it will take me about quarter-hour to get to my vacation spot. In actuality, it ended up taking me about 40 minutes to struggle by way of site visitors and get to dinner.
That results in my second problem with offline maps: Should you veer off its path, it takes some time to recalibrate and discover you once more. When getting by way of the site visitors talked about above, I took just a few impromptu turns down aspect streets and offline maps nonetheless confirmed me the place I turned off the trail for a minute or so.
In any other case, offline maps take issues again to the times of bodily maps. You could not be capable of predict how a lot site visitors will delay your drive, and if you happen to take a incorrect flip it would take you a second to determine methods to get again, however you will get to your vacation spot… finally. Pack some snacks simply in case.
For extra, try the brand new options in iOS 17.1, what might be included in iOS 17.2 and our iOS 17 cheat sheet.
