Google Maps may receive an update that will allow users to use the application even when they are not connected to the internet. This new navigation model would be possible through satellite connectivity. The technology can be useful when the user is lost on roads or remote locations without access to the Web.

Google has already been testing the use of this type of connectivity to send emergency messages in the same situations. The new experiment reinforces rumors that the company is investing in satellite communication scheduled to be implemented in the Pixel 9, a device that should be launched in 2025 with Android 15. Check out more details below.

The possible offline navigation on Google Maps was discovered by developer AssembleDebug and first reported to the PiuinkaWeb website. The informant revealed strings from the application’s code that show a possible button with the “Connect to satellite” action. He also found a line of code that shows users will be able to update their location every 15 minutes, with a limit of five updates per day. The information was observed in the v11.125 beta version of Google’s navigation app.

Satellite Navigation Service

There are still no further details about the use of Google Maps’ possible satellite navigation service, nor when it could become a reality for all Android users. What is known is that it becomes useful by giving the user the possibility of finding an address even if it is in places far from cell phone towers. Experts speculate that the daily usage limit may be related to the cost of using satellites to carry out communication.

Last month, an expert discovered that Google is testing satellite connectivity on Android 14 to send text messages even without a cell phone signal, enabling ransom demands in risky situations, for example. Developers also found a new satellite icon in the “Satellite Gateway” app, which is in development for the Google Pixel 9 and could allow users to communicate with emergency services without a cell phone signal.

After Apple, now it’s Google’s turn

Apple, Google’s main rival in the development of mobile systems, launched its own satellite connection service in 2022, with the iPhone 14. The feature works for sending text messages in emergency situations and is available in countries such as Germany, Canada , United States, France, Ireland and United Kingdom.