Google Maps offline service launches, so you can find your way even with no connection

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Google has launched a feature for their Maps app that allows users to download detailed maps of certain areas, so they can get directions and find their way even when you're offline. It's early days for the feature, and Google says it will introduce more offline features as time goes on - but it's easy to see the potential of this feature, especially for users travelling to foreign countries where they may not have a data connection, or for people who live in areas where there's a poor signal. Speaking to the BBC, product manager Amanda Bishop said the Google Maps team had spent around two years working on the offline feature. This idea is not a first in mobile mapping - Here Maps, available for iOS and Android now, allows users to download maps in the same way - but since Google Maps is a far more ubiquitous app, this latest development is likely to have more of an impact.