Download Your Area Offline
Description
Your data plan will run out at some point — usually at the worst possible moment. Downloading your neighbourhood offline takes 2 minutes and means you can always find your way home, locate a clinic, or navigate to a new address even without signal.
What to do
Warnings
Offline maps have limited features
- Transit routes and schedules (bus, SkyTrain) won't work offline
- Live traffic and real-time updates are not available
- Use offline maps mainly for navigation and finding places — not for transit planning
Maps take up storage space
- A city-sized offline map can take 200–500 MB of storage
- If your phone has limited space, download only your immediate neighbourhood
- You can delete and re-download the map anytime from Google Maps settings
Tips
What to include in your download area
Cover your home, your school or workplace, the nearest SkyTrain station, a walk-in clinic, and a grocery store. You don't need to download the whole city — just the area you'll actually use.
Why this matters in BC
Signal often drops in underground SkyTrain stations, basements, and elevators. Having an offline map means you're never stuck trying to load directions with no connection at the worst moment.
Driving directions work offline too
You can still get turn-by-turn driving or walking directions without data. Just enter a destination before you lose signal and Google Maps will guide you the rest of the way.
Other map apps work too
Apple Maps, Maps.me, and HERE WeGo all support offline maps. The steps are similar — find your area, look for a 'download' or 'offline' option, and save it on Wi-Fi. Use whatever app you're already comfortable with.