Google doesn't want to leave the roughly 60 percent of the world without Internet access totally in the dark.
On Tuesday, the tech giant announced that it will enable people to use Google Maps even if they're offline. That means whether users are in a country road, underground parking garage or flat out don't have an Internet connection, Google Maps will continue to work seamlessly, so they could continue getting their directions and navigate to where they need to go.
The way Google Maps offline will work is users will be able to download an area of the world to their smartphones to use it for the next time they're in a place without Internet access. To do that, simply search for a city, county or country and hit "download" or go to Offline Areas in the Google Maps menu and tap the "+" button.
Once the area is downloaded, Google maps will switch to offline mode automatically, when it recognizes that you're in a space without Internet service. When a connection is found, it will automatically switch back online. Previously, users were only able to view an area of the map offline, but couldn't get turn-by-turn driving directions without Internet access.
Google says it previewed this new feature during its I/O in May, but will be rolling out with this update Tuesday via its latest version of Google Maps on Android. The company promises that this is the first of more offline features that will bolster its popular Google Maps app.
