13Using it with no signal
Save the map to your phone before you go. Then the map, your route and Nav keep working where there's no signal.
13.1Why download maps
Out of town, your phone often has no signal. A map you keep on your phone still works there. So does your route, and Nav still tells you each turn.
Downloading means saving something to your phone so it works with no signal. Do it at home on wifi before you go. The files are big, so plug your phone in to charge if you can.
Step by step, with pictures: Keep the map with no signal
13.2The Offline tab
- Tap Menu at the top left.
- Tap Offline along the top of the menu.
Here's the tab from top to bottom.
| Part | What it does |
|---|---|
| Offline Maps | The heading at the top of the tab. |
| Advanced | Tap it to see Map source. Leave Map source on Auto. |
| The line under Advanced | Says which map is in use right now. |
| Download a country | One list of 38 countries. Each one holds the map, the 3D hills and the routes. |
| Older downloads on this phone | Only shows if you still have maps saved before the country list. Remove clears them. |
While a country downloads, its own row shows what it is getting and how far it has got.
13.3Download each country
Each country is one download. It holds the map with place names, the 3D hills and the routes for that country. Then the app can plan a route there with no signal.
- Find each country your trip crosses.
- Tap Download beside it.
- Keep the app open while it downloads.
- Wait for a tick and On this phone.
The country the map is on comes first. It says where the map is. The rest go from A to Z.
Each row shows its size. Malta is about 30 MB. France is the biggest, at about 2 GB. All 38 countries come to about 18 GB.
While it downloads, the row says what it is getting: map, routing, then terrain. It also shows how far it has got.
If it stops part way, tap Get the rest. Nothing already saved is lost.
A country you download also keeps its campsites and fuel prices. It keeps speed cameras, toll roads and some weather too.
13.4Countries join at the border
Countries next to each other join up. So a route that crosses a border keeps working with no signal.
Download every country on your way, not just the first and the last. With a gap in the middle, the app can't plan that part with no signal.
Some small countries come with a big one. Andorra is in Spain. Monaco is in France. San Marino is in Italy. Liechtenstein is in Switzerland. The row shows their letters, like AD for Andorra.
Türkiye and Ukraine are not in the list.
13.5Updates and older downloads
A country on your phone shows a tick, On this phone and its size.
When a newer copy is ready, an Update button shows on its row. Tap it while you have signal. Only the parts that changed download again.
Older downloads on this phone shows at the bottom of the list if you still have maps from before. Tap Remove to clear them and free up space.
13.6Map source
Map source picks which map the app draws. It works for the main map and for Nav. To find it, open the Offline tab and tap Advanced at the top.
| Choice | What it does |
|---|---|
| Auto | Uses the online map while it loads. Switches to your downloaded map when nothing gets through, and back again later. This is the one to use. |
| Offline only | Always uses your downloaded map, even with signal. |
| Online only | Never uses your downloaded map. On weak signal the map may be slow or blank. |
On Auto, the app waits a few seconds for each piece of map. After three misses in a row, it switches to your downloaded map. It tries the online map again every 20 seconds.
13.7The download offer on your phone
On a phone, the app may offer to do the download for you. A card says Download the maps and route data for, then the country you're in and its size. It says it's best done on wifi.
It saves the map first, then the routes, then the hills.
| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| Download | Starts the download. You can keep using the app. |
| Not now | Closes the card. It won't ask again, so use the Offline tab later. |
| Stop | Ends a download part way. Next time you open the app, it offers what's missing. |
If you close the app part way, it carries on from where it stopped next time you open it.
The app may also save the map near you by itself. A note says Getting the map for, then the area and its size. Tap Stop if you'd rather it didn't.
13.8What works with no signal
| Works with no signal | Needs signal |
|---|---|
| Your downloaded map and place names | Rain radar and the wind map |
| 3D hills, in the countries you downloaded | Fresh forecasts and official warnings |
| A route you planned before | New fire and closure updates |
| Nav and its spoken turns | Plan with AI |
| Planning a new route, in the countries you downloaded | Search for a place you haven't seen before |
| Saved routes | Satellite photos |
| The week of weather saved along your route | Planning a bicycle route |
| Closed roads, from the list saved with your map | Sending a new place you add (it waits and sends later) |
With no signal, search looks only at what's on your phone. That's your saved spots, recent places, campsites already on the map, and towns.
Campsite pins for a country are saved when you download it. With signal, they also load as you look over the map.
If you've signed in on this phone before, the app opens with no signal too.
13.9Planning and Nav with no signal
With a country on your phone, Plan Route works there with no signal. The Route Summary says the route was planned on your device. It also says live closures and traffic aren't included.
A caravan or motorhome route still sticks to main roads. It keeps off roads too low or too narrow for you.
| If you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| Too far to plan offline in one go | Add a stop about half way. Each part then plans quickly. |
| A place is far from any road in your packs | Move that pin onto a road and plan again. |
| No routing pack on this phone yet | Tap Open the Offline tab. Download each country on your trip when you have signal. |
| Bicycle routing needs signal | Bicycle routes need signal. Plan it before you go. |
In Nav, if you leave the route, the app plans a new one on your phone. Without that country on your phone, it can't. The line turns into amber dashes, a note says the line isn't updating, and a voice says No signal. Cannot reroute.
Get back on the line, and Nav carries on. When signal returns, it plans a new way for you.
Step by step, with pictures: Keep the map with no signal
13.10Storage, updates and removing downloads
| Download | Size |
|---|---|
| One country | About 30 MB to about 2 GB |
| All 38 countries | About 18 GB |
Downloads are kept in your phone's browser storage. If your phone runs out of room, a message says so. Free up space, then tap Download again.
- Find the country under Download a country.
- Tap the bin button on its row to remove it.
When a newer version of your download is ready, a card says A newer offline pack is ready. Tap Update to get it, or Later to keep what you have.