GOOGLE Maps has unveiled its latest update for Android and it comes with three massive additions to the popular navigation app.

Among the changes are a battery and data saving Wi-Fi Only mode, the ability to save maps offline on a memory card and changes for travellers to Asia and Europe.

The Wi-Fi Only mode limits the app to offline files when connected to 3G or 4G, which is a blessing for those using Google Maps abroad.

Even when you are outside of an area downloaded and saved to your device, Google’s feature promises to never use any of your mobile data.

This means the maps will only update to include any missing sections when connected to a Wi-Fi network.

The inclusion of the feature has seen Google removing the Offline Areas mode, which would stop using pre-loaded maps as soon as it got a mobile signal.

It is hoped this will help ensure users aren’t chewing through data unknowingly.

Speaking of the addition on its blog, Google said the new mode could also save battery life.

“When you know you’ll have spotty service or just want to save on data, you can toggle to ‘Wi-Fi only’ to use Google Maps entirely offline on Android,” it wrote.

“The best part is that you can still use other apps and the rest of your phone as you normally would. You might even save on battery life too.”

The other major change to the Android version of the app is the ability to save maps offline.

“Entry-level smartphones come with internal storage capacities as low as 4GB, while higher-end models range between 8GB and 32GB,” it wrote.

“For many of us, that’s not enough for all the videos, music, apps, and photos we cram onto our beloved smartphones.

“To ensure that Google Maps users with any storage capacity can download and use offline areas when they need them most, we’ve added the ability to download your offline areas to an external SD card.”

Google said the downloading maps to a microSD card will dramatically improve navigating in areas without good mobile coverage.

The navigation app will also allow users to choose between internal and external storage before a map is saved for offline viewing.

The final update improves Google Maps integration with taxi apps in several countries across Europe and Asia.

This feature builds on the March update, which introduced a dedicated mode to easily compare ride service options without having to open multiple apps.

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