A series of updates were rolled out to Google Maps for Android this week, including a Wi-Fi only mode, the option to save to an SD card, and an expansion of ride-sharing service comparisons.
## Wi-Fi Only Mode
Just last month, Google introduced an offline-only mode for Maps to help users avoid data charges while using the app. Now there’s a new way to use Maps without consuming data. With the option to toggle a “Wi-Fi only” mode on and off, you can still use Maps “offline” without having any maps data saved to your phone. Activating Wi-Fi only mode in Google Maps does not affect the ability of any other apps to access cellular data.
## Save to SD Card
Speaking of saving Google Maps data to your phone, you now have the option to do so without using your phone’s internal memory. If your phone supports external SD cards, you can now use external storage when downloading Maps data. The ability to save Google Maps data to your phone was introduced back in November 2015.
## Expanded Ride Sharing Service Comparisons
Since March, Google Maps has had the capability to compare the rates of popular ride-sharing services. This feature is now being expanded to include additional services in countries around the world. Here’s what has been added:
– ‘GO-JEK’ rides in three cities in Indonesia, with ten more cities coming soon
– ‘Grab’ rides in 24 cities throughout Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand
– ‘Gett,’ ‘Hailo,’ and ‘MyTaxi’ comparisons added in select cities across Ireland, Poland, Italy, Austria, Russia, and Israel
All of these new ride-sharing services have been integrated into the Google Maps app for Android, and will soon be available on iOS. Due to the lack of an external storage slot on iOS devices, it’s likely that iOS will never get the ‘save to SD card’ option. Wi-Fi only mode is currently rolling out only for Android, with no plans announced for the iOS app.
