Google Maps Go is now available on the Play Store. It is a light version of the typical Google maps available to work on low-end devices that use Android Go. It joins other Lite versions of the company such as Google Go or Files Go.
What is Android Go?
Android Go es a light version of the operating system de Google Dedicated to low-end devices that can't run a full Android system at its best. It's designed for phones with low RAM and reduced storage capacity, as well as for areas where data connections are unstable or very limited.
This platform is accompanied by a set of optimized applications, the well-known Go apps: Google Go, Google Assistant Go, YouTube Go, Google Maps Go, Gmail Go, Gboard, Google Play, Chrome and Files Go, among others. All of them occupy less spaceThey consume less data and require less processor power, offering a more agile experience on modest terminals.
To date, only the following were available: Youtube Go, Files Go y Google Go, which you can download from the following links:
Android Go apps are characterized by offering the essential functions They are similar to their bigger siblings, but with simpler interfaces and optimized internal processes to reduce resource consumption. This makes them not only a good option for entry-level phones, but also an interesting alternative for those who want to save battery, data, and storage space on any device.
How to use Google Maps Go
If you now try to download Google Maps Go from the application tab of the Play StoreYou might not be able to install it directly on some devices, as it's specifically designed for Android Go phones or certain compatible models. However, there is a way to use it on virtually any phone, and no, it's not by downloading the APK from external repositories.
What needs to be understood is that, more than a typical lightweight application, Google Maps Go is a PWA (Progressive Web App). This means it works through your mobile phone's browser, leveraging web technology to behave almost like a native app. Sound familiar? It's the same method used by... Twitter Lite.
This architecture makes Google Maps Go take up a fraction of space of the full Google Maps app (approximately up to one hundred times less), but retain key features such as real time location, traffic conditions, public transport information and data on millions of businesses and locations worldwide.
So, to use Google Maps Go on any of our devices and use it regularly like an app, we'll need to open your link en Chrome for Android, open the menu Options and choose Add to home screenThis will create an icon that will open the PWA in almost full-screen mode, without having to open the browser each time.
This is the link of the mobile version from Google Maps Go. If you already have the main version installed, it may take you to the app. In this case, copy the link, paste it by opening Chrome from your mobile and everything will be ready to use.
In general, this light version will offer you what is really necessary for Google Maps, with the traffic directionsSelect the best routes, discover local attractions, check public transport schedules, find phone numbers and addresses, or save places to visit later. Everything you really need from Google Maps is also in Maps Go, but in a more streamlined way. light and efficient, ideal for low-end mobiles, whatever your goal is.
Although the download doesn't work on all devices, its information sheet is available on the Play StoreYou can access it using the following button to add it to your wishlist and have it available when your device is compatible or when its download is activated:
Features and limitations of Google Maps Go versus Google Maps
According to official information and tests on real devices, Google Maps Go It includes a good portion of the most used features of Google Maps, although with certain logical limitations due to its lightweight nature.
Between the functions The following are offered:
- Search for places and businessesYou can locate nearby restaurants, gas stations, shops, offices, or points of interest anywhere in the world.
- Routes and travel timesCalculate routes by car, public transport, on foot, by bicycle, taxi or even combining several means.
- Public transport informationSchedules and routes for buses, subways, trains, and other systems in thousands of cities.
- Real time traffic and traffic maps to try to choose the fastest route.
- Business dataAddress, phone number, opening hours, reviews, and photos submitted by users.
- Lists and saved places to quickly access the sites you frequently visit.
- Compatibility with more than 70 languagesmaps of more than 200 countries and detailed data on millions of locations.
In exchange for that extreme saving of resources, there are some major limitations Regarding the complete app:
- It does not allow download offline mapsTherefore, you need a data connection or WiFi to view routes and maps.
- La real-time location sharing It is not available in this version.
- Part of the step-by-step guided navigation It depends on an additional app (Navigation for Google Maps Go) and may not be available in all regions.
- Being a PWA, it requires having Google Chrome installed and updated to function optimally.
On many powerful phones, Google Maps Go can also be useful as a complement to the full app: for example, for quick queries while keeping navigation active in the main application without having to interrupt it, or simply for those who want access to maps that doesn't consume much data. less mobile data and load faster.
Google Maps Go demonstrates that, even on devices with very limited resources, it is possible to enjoy accurate mapstraffic data and millions of points of interest with a smooth experience and a very lightweight installation, something especially valuable when internal storage or network connection is an issue.