If you’re an Android user that likes to keep tight control over your cellular data usage, you’re going to love a new Google Maps feature that’s now rolling out.
Google is testing a Wi-Fi-only mode for Maps that’s pretty much just what it sounds like. When enabled, a bar that says “WI-FI ONLY” will appear at the top of your screen and your Google Maps app will only work over Wi-Fi. You’ll be able to use your offline areas that you’ve saved to your device. Google does note, though, that even with Wi-Fi-only mode enabled, Maps might still use “a small amount” of cellular data.
Many folks nowadays are on tiered data plans, and so they want to conserve their data use to avoid overages. With Google Maps’ Wi-Fi-only mode, you can save your maps for offline usage when you’re away from Wi-Fi and limit the amount of cellular data that the app uses while you’re about and about. So if you’re on a limited data plan, you may want to keep an eye out for this feature.
Google says that this Wi-Fi-only mode is currently in testing and that it may roll out to more users in the future.