Google is yet to officially announce this but it appears that the company might soon release a Wi-Fi only mode for Google Maps. The mode will do what the name suggests. It will limit usage of the app to when the device is connected to a Wi-Fi network, providing users with an additional layer of security to ensure they don’t consume large amounts of cellular data when using Google Maps without a Wi-Fi connection.
Many users have reported that the Wi-Fi only mode option is now available in the settings menu of Google Maps and that it replaces the “Offline areas” option. Once this option is activated, Google Maps is going to load bulk of the data on Wi-Fi only.
The app does warn users that a small amount of cellular data may still be required but it certainly won’t need as much as it would if Google Maps was being run fully on cellular data. So it won’t be possible to take advantage of this with mobile data turned off.
Google is yet to make an official announcement for this feature so it’s unclear at this point in time just how this Wi-Fi only mode differs from the offline area mode. One thing is for certain, though, the idea behind this is to make the experience better for users when they have limited cellular connectivity.
Filed in . Read more about Apps, Google and Google Maps. Source: androidpolice