In many cases it can be convenient to have maps saved on your computer, so you can consult itineraries and roads on a large screen, even without connecting to the Google Maps website. Downloading maps is possible on PC and also on Android and iPhone smartphones, both those of Google Maps and those of other equivalent services, such as Microsoft maps for example.
With the saved map it becomes very simple to print it or use it within documents or invitations, in order to create a fixed reference that does not necessarily require an internet connection or a specific application to be opened.
Below, we see how to download Google Maps and Microsoft maps on PC and, to do a review, how to download Google Maps on Android smartphones and iPhone, which has really become easy and convenient, especially when going abroad and missing a data connection.
Download Maps to PC
1) First of all, the Google Maps site allows you to easily print the framed area and this means that you can also save it in a PDF file.
By pressing the Google Maps menu button at the top left, you can then press the Print button at the bottom and then the one that appears at the top right in blue.
The print preview shows the area of the framed map and you can then change the page orientation in the Print options, using a more suitable horizontal layout.
In the destination menu (I'm using Chrome right now, but the options are the same also in Firefox and other browsers), you can change the printer by choosing a virtual one, that is, one that saves the print as a PDF file.
In Windows 10, PDF printing is included in the system, while for other versions of Windows you may need a program to install the PDF printer.
2) In Windows 10 you can consult maps and maps without opening the Google Maps website, using the Microsoft Maps application in Windows 10 .
From the Start menu, then, look for the word Maps to find the application that is very similar to the Google Maps site, only with slightly different graphics.
Here too you can search and print maps quickly using the relative button.
Windows 10 Maps also allows you to download maps for later browsing and browsing offline, even if your computer has no internet connection.
To do this, open Windows 10 Settings (from the Start menu) and then go to the Apps> Offline Maps section.
On the right side you can press on Download map and choose the country or region to download.
For Italy, the downloads are divided by region, so if you want to have the map of the whole country saved on your computer you will need to download all the regional maps.
3) To download maps and map pieces as image files in Google Maps, you can download the small Google Map Saver program.
This tool, of amateur programming and certainly very Spartan and imperfect, connects to Google Maps and allows you to save maps as JPEG image files.
You just have to write the name of the city and the name of the country whose map you want to save at the top left (for example Milan, Italy ), change if you want the resolution, i.e. the size of the map to download, decide the zoom and the map mouse, whether on the road or from the satellite.
When the right map appears on the screen, you can press the Save button at the top to save the image in a chosen folder.
4) Gmap Catcher is a more structured and certainly better open source program for downloading maps from the internet, which supports practically all the main map services of the world, including also Google Maps.
From the main window of the program, at the top left, you can press the settings button which allows, in the " Change Theme " section, to choose the map service from Google Maps, Nokia, Openstreet and several others.
Just search for the road or the area directly from Gmap Catcher that connects to Google Maps and press the Download button (which is found by pressing the settings button) to download the map to PC.
If an area has already been viewed, you can activate the "Offline" function to browse the map without connecting to the internet.
Download Google Maps Maps on Android and iPhone
From the Google Maps application for Android and for iPhone you can download maps for offline use, ideal when going abroad or in areas where there is no signal.
While until recently the option was a bit hidden, saving maps is really easy today.
To do this, you only need to touch a point on the map until the placemark appears.
With your finger, you can then scroll up the information bar on that point at the bottom of the screen to find a series of four buttons, including the one you download .
Downloading maps can also be done in another way, using the search field above.
Then search for a street or a reference point, then touch the place name to make the Download button appear.
If the download does not appear, it simply means that the framed map is too large and you will have to pinch the screen to make it smaller.
Before downloading, you must draw the area of the map to be saved, using the square on the screen.
The downloaded map can be automatically updated using the relative update option via wifi, which renews the map every 30 days (an expiration time).
The saved maps are visible from the Google Maps menu, under the Offline Maps section.
As explained in another guide, Google Maps can be used as an offline browser on Android and iPhone .
