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how much data does google maps use?
ihatemarmite
18-10-2016
I'm travelling in the EU soon and might need to use my Tesco mobile phone as GPS for directions. Tesco charge 4p per Mb. They cap at £40.

How much do you think approx 10-15 mins of leaving data roaming on, using google maps would use? is there some way to calculate or check usage?

I will try to pre-download a map of the cities, but haven't got much spare storage on my 16GB phone (can they be saved to SD card?), also I will def need google voice navigation as I get lost easily and I don't speak the local language.

Assume this is no cheaper on BT Mobile as OH has that?
BKM
18-10-2016
Originally Posted by ihatemarmite:
“I will try to pre-download a map of the cities, but haven't got much spare storage on my 16GB phone (can they be saved to SD card?), also I will def need google voice navigation as I get lost easily and I don't speak the local language.”

You could experiment with downloading offline maps of various regions - which will tell you how much space they would use (and it is often not as much as you might expect!)

A local copy of Malta (the whole island) was only something like 60Mb for me this summer..
blueacid
18-10-2016
I believe it caches ahead; if not, Waze certainly does. So if you have wifi where you're starting and know where you're going, program the nav while on the wifi. It'll download the route ahead and thus will use minimal data while you're on the way.

The other option is to use osmand, downloading the country maps to the SD card. It does completely offline navigation, which is a bit occam's razor: you use absolutely no data, but the routing does not take into account any real time data such as closures, queues or similar. I used this to great effect while up in the Highlands of Scotland a couple of years ago. My Three phone was mostly on the Orange 2g fallback so had no data - not a problem with all the maps on the SD card!


..although distracting when I would go around a bend and find 3g, only for my phone to go berserk collecting whatsapp, facebook messages and emails!
BKM
18-10-2016
Originally Posted by blueacid:
“I believe it caches ahead; if not, Waze certainly does. So if you have wifi where you're starting and know where you're going, program the nav while on the wifi. It'll download the route ahead and thus will use minimal data while you're on the way.”

Google Maps now supports "offline areas" where you select the area using an outline map and it tells you roughly how much space your area will need to download for offline use.
d123
18-10-2016
Originally Posted by ihatemarmite:
“I'm travelling in the EU soon and might need to use my Tesco mobile phone as GPS for directions. Tesco charge 4p per Mb. They cap at £40.

How much do you think approx 10-15 mins of leaving data roaming on, using google maps would use? is there some way to calculate or check usage?

I will try to pre-download a map of the cities, but haven't got much spare storage on my 16GB phone (can they be saved to SD card?), also I will def need google voice navigation as I get lost easily and I don't speak the local language.

Assume this is no cheaper on BT Mobile as OH has that?”

Depending on your phone there are other free alternatives that allow off line use by downloading the maps to your device.

Two I've used and would recommend are Here Maps (I thinks it's now renamed Here We Go and was originally Nokia Drive) and Navmii.
Sargeant80
18-10-2016
Checked my google maps data use and its never more than 10mb a month.

I do use it 1-2 times a week.

Really doesn't seem like a data heavy app at all.

No idea if using it abroad has any impact.
Playamonte
18-10-2016
Download Here maps as these you can use offline including voice prompting.
Select what country/area of the country you wish to download & assuming you have room on phone then its job done.

Its free & uses no data as the maps are on the phone.
ihatemarmite
19-10-2016
thanks everyone for your help. I'll do that.
Jimmy_Carter
19-10-2016
Originally Posted by Playamonte:
“Download Here maps as these you can use offline including voice prompting.
Select what country/area of the country you wish to download & assuming you have room on phone then its job done.

Its free & uses no data as the maps are on the phone.”

And it has speed limits on which I find very handy.
The Sack
19-10-2016
Originally Posted by blueacid:
“I believe it caches ahead”

When you plan a route Maps now asks you if you would like to download the route so you're right.
The Sack
19-10-2016
Originally Posted by ihatemarmite:
“
I will try to pre-download a map of the cities, but haven't got much spare storage on my 16GB phone (can they be saved to SD card?)”

Google Maps can be downloaded to your SD Card, i have Great Britain saved to mine. The maps update once a month or so automatically.
Mark C
20-10-2016
Originally Posted by BKM:
“You could experiment with downloading offline maps of various regions - which will tell you how much space they would use (and it is often not as much as you might expect!)

A local copy of Malta (the whole island) was only something like 60Mb for me this summer..”

On maps.me Malta is only 4 MB.

Greater London is 50 MB

SE England 55 MB

Northern Scotland 65 MB

I actually prefer maps.me to Google maps, and the base ap gives the whole world, enough detail that if you're on a plane, and next to a window, you can use GPS in Flight Safe mode, and track where you are
BKM
21-10-2016
Originally Posted by Mark C:
“I actually prefer maps.me to Google maps, and the base ap gives the whole world, enough detail that if you're on a plane, and next to a window, you can use GPS in Flight Safe mode, and track where you are”

maps.me does look very useful - thanks! It does not seem to do postcodes in the UK - unless I have missed something!
Graeme89
21-10-2016
As mentioned Here maps is great even with offline maps rarely use google maps since I got Here
Mark C
21-10-2016
Originally Posted by BKM:
“maps.me does look very useful - thanks! It does not seem to do postcodes in the UK - unless I have missed something!”

No, I don't think it does (yet) unfortunately,

It does show public footpaths, which is great when we're walking (especially as in remote areas there's sometimes no 3 or 4G !)

I'll take a look at Here Maps
planetf1
24-10-2016
If you eally want to exzplore footpaths and other features I'd recommend OMSand - the maps are based on open streetmap - it's my favourite app for detail....
BKM
24-10-2016
Originally Posted by planetf1:
“If you eally want to exzplore footpaths and other features I'd recommend OMSand - the maps are based on open streetmap - it's my favourite app for detail....”

I would recommend "Outdoors GPS" myself- choice of OS Maps in all resolutions, Open Streetmap, Open Cycle Map and Google Maps. The OS Maps cost extra - but a years subscription to "OS Online" (which can be cached) is quite reasonable (about £10)
swb1964
24-10-2016
Originally Posted by The Sack:
“Google Maps can be downloaded to your SD Card, i have Great Britain saved to mine. The maps update once a month or so automatically.”

Yeah, go to "offline areas" then click the little cog thing and choose to save to SD card.

They will only update on WiFi saving on yr data allowance.

I rarely buy data at all these days.The 100 meg I get with my goodybag does me for emergencies.
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