How much data does Google Maps use?
Google Maps is one of the lightest apps you will run on a trip. Turn-by-turn navigation on a route you have already loaded uses about 5 MB an hour; panning around a city and opening places uses 10 to 20 MB. A full day of getting around rarely passes 100 MB.
What pushes the number up is new map tiles. Every reroute, every zoom into a street you have not seen and every place card with photos pulls fresh data, and the satellite layer loads imagery several times heavier than the default map. Street View and photo galleries are the other big spenders.
Offline maps remove almost all of it. Once a city is on the phone, driving directions and search work with mobile data switched off.
Megabytes per hour
| Mode | Per hour |
|---|---|
| Navigation on a known routeThe route and its tiles load once at the start; after that only traffic updates stream. | 5 MB/h |
| Navigation with rerouting, new cityAbout 10 to 20 MB while the app keeps loading new tiles and recalculating. | 15 MB/h |
| Browsing the map, searching placesAbout 10 to 20 MB: map tiles plus photos and reviews of the places you open. | 15 MB/h |
| Satellite layerOur estimate for steady panning; imagery tiles weigh several times more than the default map. | 50 MB/h |
| Offline map, downloaded in advanceDownloading a city takes 100 to 500 MB once; do it on Wi-Fi. | 0 MB/h |
Checked October 4, 2026 · Sources: support.google.com. Figures are from the app’s own documentation unless marked as our measurement. The tables on this page are published under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with a link to the source.
How to use less
- Download the city before you fly: Google Maps → your profile picture → Offline maps → Select your own map, then drag the frame over the area you need.
- Let offline maps refresh only on Wi-Fi: Offline maps → Settings (gear) → Auto-update offline maps and Download preferences → Over Wi-Fi only.
- Stay on the Default map type. Satellite and Terrain load image tiles; switch them on for the moment you need them and back off.
- Plan the route while still on hotel Wi-Fi and start navigation there. The whole route is cached at the start, so the road itself costs almost nothing.
- Skip Street View and the photo carousels on the road; one street panorama weighs more than an hour of navigation.
- If you want Maps to never touch mobile data outside navigation, turn on Settings → Wi-Fi only (Android) and keep the offline area current.
How much data Google Maps uses on a trip
1.5 h of Google Maps a day for 14 days is about 0.2 GB. Add your other apps in the calculator.
Calculate for my tripQuestions
Does Google Maps use data in the background?
A little. Location sharing, Timeline and traffic refreshes keep polling, and an active route keeps downloading traffic. Count on a few megabytes an hour, not tens.
How much data does Google Maps need for a two-week trip?
At 1.5 hours a day of mixed navigation and searching, about 10 MB an hour, two weeks come to roughly 200 MB. With offline maps it drops close to zero; with the satellite layer on it can triple.
Does navigation work without internet?
Driving directions do, on a downloaded offline map, including rerouting inside the downloaded area. Live traffic, public transport times and walking or cycling routes need a connection.
Is downloading the map on Wi-Fi enough?
Mostly. A city is 100 to 500 MB once, and after that navigation costs nothing. Searching for a café still goes online for reviews, photos and opening hours.
