Google made a lot of announcements at its keynote at Google I/O today, but they also made some additional ones. For one, Chrome for Android is out of beta. Additionally, there is now offline support for Google Maps For Android.
“Whether travelling internationally, carrying a WiFi-only device, heading underground on the subway or restricting your mobile data usage, you can now save up to six large metro areas (e.g., Greater London, Paris, or New York City and surrounding area) and use Google Maps for Android to find your way,” says Google software engineer Jiabei Lei.
This should be helpful if you run into a patch where you lose your connection.
“Let’s say you find yourself traveling to London this summer,” says Lei. “Before you head off on your trip, simply find the area that you’ll be visiting. Then select “Make available offline” from the menu and verify the area that you would like to save.”
To use the feature, just download the latest version of the Google Maps app from Google Play, and save the regions you want to use offline.
Google is also releasing a new version of Compass Mode for street view, which it says is smoother and faster.