On holiday without internet, or do you just have a small data bundle? Then you can still use your iPhone or iPad to navigate. iPhoned highlights the best offline navigation apps for you.
Offline navigation apps: these are our favorites
We rely heavily on our phones. We check social media to stay informed, read news and stream videos and music. We even look at our phones so much that we leave them off as much as possible during holidays to really relax.
One problem: what do you do when you are in a strange place and you want to know the way? Do you have a paper map to hand or do you quickly grab your iPhone with GPS? Just as easy, but if you don’t want to use up all your MBs abroad right away, you would do well to install a good offline maps app before your trip. Then you always know where you are.
1. Google Maps
Google’s maps app has had an extended mode for years that makes it easy to save maps. You don’t download complete maps, but you save an area that you define by zooming in and out. You can then consult the offline maps in your Google account and remain on your device for a month. After that, they are automatically deleted, so you don’t get cramped in your storage space. Handy if you’re going on vacation and want to save an entire city offline just to be sure.
Google Maps has the most beautiful maps with the most details of all apps. You don’t have to make any purchases for it and if you save the areas offline in time for your vacation, there is nothing to worry about. You can also use a route function within your offline saved map. This means you have the most important functions of Google’s map service at hand, even if you do not have a mobile internet connection for a while.
2. Waze
Waze is also part of Google, but takes a slightly different approach than Google Maps. Waze is a lot more social, but one of our favorite offline navigation apps. An enthusiastic community keeps each other informed about traffic jams, speed traps and other things that affect your journey. You can also quickly send a message to your friends from the app to let them know what time you will arrive at the destination.
However, if you are careful with your data bundle, you can also use Waze offline. As long as you plan a route when you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network, you can hit the road offline with peace of mind. After the route has been created, Waze no longer needs an internet connection to send you in the right direction.
3. Sygic
Sygic also has an enthusiastic group of users, partly due to the extensive offline mode. By updating your maps when you are connected to the internet, you can also use the app offline.
Sygic has everything a good navigation app should have. Voice guidance, for example, but also a safety warning if a sharp bend or exit is approaching. When you are at your destination, the app also helps you find a parking space. In addition to the robust offline navigation maps, Sygic has some other nice features. This way you can use the iPhone in the dark to project the navigation on your windshield.
4. HERE WeGo
HERE WeGo is the most easy-to-use map download app. In the hamburger menu you will find an option to save offline maps for a specific country. You can select any country on earth, so that you always know where you are on vacation, without having to cost yourself.
There are also many useful functions available. For example, HERE WeGo contains step-by-step voice navigation, extensive traffic information and a route planner to map out navigation for the car, a walking route or a journey by public transport. You can also save places so that you can find them faster later and travel there more easily.
5. Guru Maps
Guru Maps is a maps app that works with vectors. That means that it is not one of the most beautiful offline navigation apps, but it is a functional one. With the app you can download maps of entire countries, which you can then zoom in and out as far as you want, even in offline mode.
Cards take up quite a bit of space, so make sure you have enough free space. Guru Maps is especially suitable for pointing out your location. The app also indicates on the maps where the attractions and restaurants are.
In the free version you can use all functions for free for a few days, after that you have to pay for it with in-app purchases. Importing offline maps then costs 1.09 euros and adding bookmarks on a map 2.29 euros. Without the in-app purchases, you can cache maps when you do have internet access, so you can view them later without internet. You don’t have a picture of the whole country, but only a part. The paid version, Guru Maps Pro, costs EUR 4.49 once.
6. Maps.me
You will find a nice price-quality ratio in the Maps.me app. The app is free and does not contain any in-app purchases. The maps come from OpenStreetMap, which are created by users. This is done quite actively by a serious group of people. A bit like Wikipedia is being filled. This is handy, because the maps are updated regularly.
The app also has a route function and automatically maps out routes for you. You can also see exactly where you are with the help of GPS. Finally, there is a night mode, so that you are not blinded by the bright light of your iPhone in the dark. With this original concept, Maps.me concludes our list of the best offline navigation apps for iPhone.
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