Google Maps downloads the specific area map onto your phone including local streets. For example, I can basically download half the country of Ecuador onto my phone, or almost the entire state of South Carolina. There's a limit to how large of a geographic area you can download, but the limit is not very limiting. Because let's face it, you're not always going to buy a local SIM card everywhere you go.ĭid you know that with Google Maps you can download geographic areas to your phone to access offline? Heck yeah, I'm serious! Instead, I'm going to show you some apps that you can use offline so that you can travel effectively when you are Internet-less. This article isn't about whether you should or shouldn't have mobile Internet when you travel. The truth is that next time I visit the US, I'll probably buy a Google Pixel XL and connect to the Project Fi network so that my cell phone has coverage in 134+ countries for one flat rate. I'm not saying that being disconnected is better than having Internet – or the opposite. It'd be nice to have Internet access to catch up on e-mails, read some blogs, make a phone call, or just kill time on Reddit. Lastly, sometimes I'm just waiting somewhere and there's nothing to do. I also miss going for walk-and-talks where I call my best friend and catch up over a nice long walk, as opposed to having to be near a WiFi connection to make calls. Or if I'm out and need to lookup directions. For example, when I'm trying to meet someone and we can't find each other and there's no way to get in touch. Sometimes it's inconvenient not having Internet on my phone. I'm more aware of my surroundings because I don't have my face glued to my phone while walking down the street or riding in a taxi / bus / car. My phone is rarely out of my pocket at the dinner table because there's nothing to see. My full attention is always on who I'm talking to because my phone is never buzzing. The difference between being connected all the time and not being connected is astounding. As I walk into my apartment, my cell phone automatically connects to my WiFi network and I get all my voicemails and messages at once. It's like being in the Seinfeld-era again and only having a home phone. This means that I only connect to the Internet when I'm at home, a coffee shop, or a public WiFi connection.Īs far as being disconnected goes, it's one of my favorite parts of being outside the US. When I'm outside of USA, I keep my phone in Airplane Mode because I don't have a local SIM card.
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