Use Google built into your car without a mobile data plan or internet connection

If you don’t have a mobile data plan for your car, some Google apps and services won’t work fully. You can still connect to the internet through Wi-Fi or a mobile hotspot to use many features in Google Assistant, Google Maps, Google Play and other apps and services.

To learn about mobile data plans for your car, contact your vehicle’s manufacturer.

Important: Settings and functionality may vary by car manufacturer, region, and data plan. For more info, reference your owner’s manual.

Google Assistant

You can only use all Google Assistant features when you’re connected to the internet. If you don’t have a mobile data plan, you can use Wi-Fi or a mobile hotspot. Features that depend on mobile data to keep Google Assistant up to date may not be available when only connected via Wi-Fi or a mobile hotspot.

What you can do offline

When you’re offline, Assistant can help you with some tasks, like navigate or send a text.

Important: If you’re offline and signed out of your Google Account, some of these features might not be available.

In your car, say a command. For example:

  • "Call Home."
  • "Turn on the AC."
  • "Navigate to the closest gas station."
  • "Play radio."

Google Play

You can only use Google Play when you’re connected to the internet. If you don’t have a mobile data plan, you can use Wi-Fi or a mobile hotspot.

If you use other apps from Google Play built into your car such as Spotify or Audible, you may need an internet connection for some features to work. Contact the app developer to learn more.

Google Maps

Google Maps works best when you're connected to the internet. If you don't have a mobile data plan, you can use Wi-Fi or a mobile hotspot.

What you can do offline

You can use offline maps in your car without an internet connection.

In order to use Google Maps in your car without an internet connection, you will need to have first downloaded offline maps at a time when your car is connected to the internet, such as when you’re at home. Some Google Maps features such as real-time traffic will be unavailable when your car is offline.

This feature isn’t available in all languages and regions. You’ll be notified if you’re outside the area covered by your offline maps.

Important: Offline maps expire 1 year after you download them. To keep your offline maps, you will need to update them periodically.

Let Google Maps manage your offline maps with auto-downloads

Offline maps can be automatically downloaded and updated based on your current location and travel patterns.
Google Maps provides data via Vehicle Map Service (VMS) to support safety-related driver assistance features in cars, like road sign integration and adaptive cruise control. These safety features rely on offline map data. To ensure that map data is always available, turn on "auto-download" in the Privacy Center.

To turn on auto-download:

  1. Open the Google Maps app Maps.
  2. At the bottom, tap Settings Settings.
  3. Tap Privacy Center and then Offline maps.
  4. Select Auto-download offline maps.
  5. Make sure you have an internet connection and wait for your offline map download to finish.
Tip: If you turn off auto-download, already downloaded maps will remain saved, but no new maps will be automatically downloaded.

Manage offline maps in Google Maps

On your car, under "Offline maps," your offline maps will show:

  1. Auto-downloaded maps based on your car’s movements, if you’ve turned on auto-download before.
  2. Optional: Home and Work maps, if you’re signed in.
  3. Optional: Maps you’ve downloaded manually.
Tip: Home and Work maps are based on your home and work address, or your Google Account’s Timeline.

Download offline maps

You can only download offline maps with a data plan.

To download offline maps:

  1. Open the Google Maps app Maps.
  2. At the bottom, tap Settings Settings and then Offline maps.
  3. Tap Select your own map Select your own map.
  4. Move the map to cover the area you'd like to download.
  5. Tap Download Download

Rename offline maps

  1. Open the Google Maps app Maps.
  2. At the bottom, tap Settings Settings and then Offline maps.
  3. Select a map to edit, then tap Rename Edit.

Update offline maps

  1. Open the Google Maps app Maps.
  2. At the bottom, tap Settings Settings and then Offline maps.
  3. Select a map to edit, then tap Update Update.

Delete offline maps

  1. Open the Google Maps app Maps.
  2. At the bottom, tap Settings Settings and then Offline maps.
  3. Select a map to edit, then tap Delete Delete
Tip: If you delete the auto-downloaded map while auto-download is turned on, the area around your current location will be automatically downloaded to replace the deleted map.

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