How to access offline Google Maps on your Android device

Google Maps is the best mapping service that works flawlessly on both desktop and mobile devices. One of the best features of Google Maps on Android was its ability to make selective maps available offline so users could access them even when they don’t have the internet connectivity while on the go. This super useful feature was pulled from the latest release of Google Maps app for Android and this made a large number of Google Maps users disappointed. Responding to the complains of its users Google has added the offline Google Maps feature to the Android app and it is now available to users.

While the offline Google Maps feature is part of the app it is not accessible just yet. Right now users can activate offline Google Maps by taking advantage of an easter-egg Google has added to the app. While this method works perfectly and makes the feature available to user it is obvious that it is an interim setup and a fix to this problem will be arriving soon to. But in the meantime you can take advantage of the offline Google Maps feature following the steps below.

1 ) Launch the Google Maps application on your Android device and search for the area whose map you want to store for offline viewing. You can also zoom on this area using pinch-to-zoom.

2 ) After you have located the part of the app that you want to store in the cache, tap on the search bar and type “Okay Maps”.

3 ) After you have entered the “Okay Maps” in the search field hit the search icon or enter on your keyboard.

You will be notified that the map has been copied to your clipboard.

That’s it! The offline Google Maps feature will now be functional on your Android smartphone or tablet and now you can save the maps of your choice to view them when you don’t have internet connectivity. You have to perform the step above every time you want to save the map.

This is a method you can use in the meantime while you wait for Google to re-add the offline map button to its official app. This trick or easter-egg found in the Google Maps app is a life saver for many users who used to enjoy this feature.