Google Maps app - Limitations when running offline

[J.C]

I was pleasantly surprised to realise last night that the Google Maps app on my jailbroken 1.1.2 iPod Touch will save a set of directions (a route) to be used offline i.e. without Wi-Fi. I’ll find it really useful to lookup a destination, request the directions and then take the Touch with me in the car. That last requested set of directions and the corresponding map images are kept in memory and away I go.

Now to my question. Does anyone know the limitations of this? i.e. how long of a journey can the Touch store before it wants to start talking to Google again?

I've heard people say Google Maps doesnt work without Wi-Fi at all but they obviously haven't given it a go.

Thanks :)

J.C

[mach_zero]

I noticed the same thing at work today when I was showing my Touch to a friend, that it had saved some directions that I had looked up the night previous. As to the limitations, I tested it out just now by plotting directions to Providence, RI (I'm all the way across the country in Oregon). After I plotted it, I turned the WiFi off, pulled up Google Maps again, and hit "Start" and it took me all 29 steps of the way from memory. Don't know how much further it'll go, but I'd say that's pretty good. :)

[J.C]

I don't have Wi-Fi where I am at the moment but i'll test it tonight to see how far I can go. Pretty damn handy. I'm impressed!

[paranoidxe]

Well I sure would hope the device would save the route offline, could you imagine being lost, get the directions on your iPod only to lose them when you drive down the street?

[J.C]

I was imagining that... hence the pleasant surprise :) I was thinking it would pull down the data as you needed it rather than all at once. Very happy!

[natluc]

Has anyone determined if you can access more than one set of Directions from the Recent list while Offline, or does the Maps app save only the last request in memory?

[J.C]

Looks like just one set of directions, at least for me it has been. I've actually been lazy and not had a good look yet to see if two short sets of directions can be held in memory as well as one long set, for example. That'd be interesting to find out.

[archurban]

well, it's not iphone. so you can't use edge network while wifi is not connected. ipod touch & iphone seem limitation to save cache from apps such as safari, google maps. I hope that it could show few more directions websites offline.

[Stay Alive 305]

If the trip isn't so long then you can have it offline. If it is too much, you can have some of the directions and stop by a gas station or something and look for wireless networks to get the rest of the directions.