How to use the navigation system on your Android phone offline

Smartphones have made navigating simpler and easier You no longer have to carry standalone GPS units while travelling However most builtin navigation apps notably Google Maps in Android and Apple Maps in iOS require an active data connection to function as unlike traditional GPS devices they download map on the fly Google allows you to download maps up to 50kmx50km which works within the city but if yoursquore out of the country on a roaming network or on the cityrsquos outskirts for a daylong trip you might have to incur heavy data charges for usage Thankfully there are solutions to avoid data dependency while using mapbased navigation systems Herersquos howSatellite navigationCurrently there are five major satellite navigation systems satnavs in the world mdash USrsquos Global Positioning System GPS Russiarsquos Global Navigation Satellite System GLONASS and European Unionrsquos Galileo are already operational whereas Chinarsquos BeiDou and Indiarsquos Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System IRNSS are still under development You need a satellite radio commonly referred to as GPS due to the popularity of the American navigation system to be able to connect and communicate with these satellitesMobile navigation GPS vs AGPSMost smartphones have either a GPS or Assisted GPS AGPS navigation system or a combination of both Phones with only GPS radio do not require data connection as they connect directly with navigation satellites However phones with only AGPS navigation require you turn on your phonersquos data active and WiFi connection as they use the cellphone towers and nearby WiFi hotspots to triangulate your location Those with both can function with or without a data connectionTry these apps for offline navigationEnabling Location Servicesgtgt Go to Settings select LocationgtgtIf your phone runs on Android Lollipop it will open a new window with a sliding button that turns onoff the location services Turn it on to enable location services Now next in queue will be lsquoModesrsquo Once you select it it will open a new window offering three modes notably mdash High Accuracy connects with GPS WiFi and mobile networks select it for faster navigation with data charges Battery Saving uses only WiFi and mobile networks to determine location is also known as AGPS and gives approx location and Device only select it to use only GPS radio to determine location The first and last modes are available only in phones with a GPS radiogtgtIf your phone runs on the Android Jelly Bean OS enable location services by selecting the option that says ldquoAllow apps that have asked permission to access locationrdquo under lsquoAccess Locationrsquo Now if your phone has a GPS radio it will show GPS satellites under Location Sources Turn it on However if it doesnrsquot you will be required to select the second option WLAN and Mobile Network Location to enable AGPS navigation Itrsquos only than that you will be able to use the builtin Google Maps appUsing GPSonly navigationAfter enabling GPSonly navigation download navigation apps that allows you to store maps offline such as Nokiarsquos Here Maps Herecom Navmii Navmiicom and OsmAnd Maps amp Navigation Osmandnet Navmii and OsmAnd use OpenStreetMaps for navigationgtgtDownload the required maps ideally your country or the country you plan to visit However if space is an issue download a single state All these apps allow at least one free map downloadgtgtDownload the free voice guidance service for stepwise driving instructions Navmii offers celebrityvoiceguidance at a premium pricegtgtAlso download maps of international waterways and other free maps available in the app After the maps are downloaded you can navigate offlineTo download these apps log on to Playgooglecom