Google Maps is adding offline navigation for Android today

Offline navigation was a major announcement at Google I/O earlier in May, despite being overshadowed by the then Android M announcement, and that feature is finally reaching the public.

The company announced, in a blog post, that Google Maps will be rolling out the new offline search and navigation mode today. It's designed to work seamlessly with the regular iteration of the app, kicking in only when you lose connectivity. The earlier version of Google's navigation app would let you view the map even when your data connection failed, but this new feature is a little different. What it does is let you select a map section that you want to save for offline usage, whether that's a single stretch of road or a larger area. That way, when you're not connected to the internet, you can still search for locations within that section, get turn-by-turn navigation, and even pull up information on places, like operational hours, contact information or ratings.

Google says the new feature will begin rolling out to Android users in an app update today, and iOS users will get it soon. To download an area of map, search for a city (or country, if you want to be that thorough), and click "Download" on the place sheet that shows up. Alternatively, you can tap "Offline Areas" in the Google Maps menu and tap on the “+” button. Both ways will let you drag and pinch the map within a square for a little more fine tuning on your personal map slice. Once downloaded, Google Maps will automatically switch to offline mode when your data connection is unstable or drops. By default, maps will only download when you're on a WiFi connection. And though the offline navigation will show you travel time, it'll be based on average traffic rather than live traffic information. The offline navigation is also currently only for driving, though Google has said it intends to add transit and walking navigations in the future.