Tech tip # 46 - Off-line maps for travelling with your phone or tablet

In case you are travelling where there is no cell-data service available…

Many of us like to travel and quite often we can find ourselves in a place where we have no cellular data to use Google maps on our phones or tablets. Sometimes we can be on the road in areas with no signal and need access to a good map (PS, I still like paper maps too!)

To help here, there are some apps that allow you to download maps to your phone or tablet and then use the map while your phone is in flight/airplane mode. These apps make use of the crowd-sourced Open Street Map project data: https://www.openstreetmap.org/ . Basically these apps turn your phone or tablet into a full-featured navigation device like a TomTom.

To use these apps, your phone or tablet must have a true GPS (some tablets don’t have a real GPS inside, but use wifi and cell signals to locate you)

My favourite of all of these apps is OSMAnd (http://osmand.net/), which was originally designed for Android, but is now also available for iOS.

On Google Play for Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.osmand&hl=en

On the iTunes store: https://itunes.apple.com/app/apple-store/id934850257?mt=8

Another good one is Maps.Me (http://maps.me/en/home)

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/app/id510623322?_1lr=1

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mapswithme.maps.pro

Both of these apps are free for light use, but are not expensive to buy the full versions that allow you to download maps of any region.

I have used these apps successfully in the UK, Ireland, Iceland, Ecuador, several US states, France, Switzerland and more. OSMAnd has been one of my most used apps on my phone.

I am sure there are other good apps out there. If you know of one, please let me know!

Let me know if you have any questions, or would like more information.

These tips are now being archived at the following location in a blog format: http://smustechtips.blogspot.ca

Also, please let me know if you have any tips you would like to share!

(PS, sorry for 3 tips in one day! I had a bit of a back log.)

	Michael Jackson MA (Cantab) MEDes (Calgary)
	Science Teacher Senior school Technology Coordinator
	Senior School, St. Michaels University School
	3400 Richmond Road | Victoria BC | V8P 4P5 | Canada Phone: 250-370-6182 | Fax: 250-592-2812 Cell: 250-888-8783 Twitter: @MikeJ_SMUS www.smus.ca
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