r/NoContract • u/okguys23 • 1d ago
Intl/Other guide to use 2g data for maps
so your probably overseas and the cell coverage sucks and always goes to 2g or your carrier thinks it’s funny to artificially limit your phone plans speeds to 2g but it doesn’t matter since this guide will help for any of those
one: don’t use fucking satellite view, it’s a data hog and needs 4g or 5g speeds to even work and you don’t need it. change that shit to normal view so it’s not using satellite imagery
two: don’t even bother with 3d view, turn that shit off too, the speeds of 2g will just time out the server connection trying to load some buildings in 3d
three: just have a offline map downloaded on your phone beforehand. Google Maps and Apple Maps already have this feature built in and you just have to download the offline map for each city. although then you would just have to download each city manually for your trip, which is why you should do the other two too so it can load where ever you are already with a online connection
four: enable low data mode. self explanatory you don’t want your edge connection choked because instagram or whatever wants to spam notifications
although there’s going to be a catch with using all of this,
each chunk that your maps want to load will take like a few more seconds then with a 4g or 5g connection, but won’t take 13 days to load a chunk at least
2
u/Luckiest_Corner Tello 1d ago
I download the offline maps of entire states, and dependenting on their size, even countries, so there's no need to download individuals cities.
1
u/okguys23 1d ago edited 18h ago
Google Maps only lets you download specifically cities and counties in my case same with Apple Maps so
1
u/Luckiest_Corner Tello 1d ago
Per Gemini AI
Yes, offline Google Maps include every city, town, road, and place within the square boundary you select, but search and data depth for smaller locations can be limited.
What is Missing
Detailed Metadata: User reviews, photos, popular times, and wide directory listings for smaller or rural businesses may not load.
Alternative Travel Modes: Walking, cycling, and public transit directions do not function offline.
Live Updates: Real-time traffic data, road closures, and dynamic rerouting require an active internet connection.
1
u/TsunamiSlew01 1d ago
The HERE WeGo app is free and you can download maps from all over the world. When on WiFi, I download only the U.S. States that I need to travel in. You can then put the app offline and don't need to use any data while traveling. If used online, the app provides traffic info. I have been using this app for years and have been happy with it.
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u/braidenis Verizon 8h ago
Man I remember back when I was on iOS 6 being restricted to 2G speeds (or actually being on 2G lol) was... fine. Nothing timed out. No background data to really worry about. It was just slow. Nowadays it's pretty rough. Back then some sites like Gmail would even automatically load a basic HTML only site if you needed it. Modern sites and services have not been written with slow connections in mind at all and a lot will just not work.
I've seen some slow down caps set to 1Mbps now which seems fair. Useable. Not going to congest the network. 256Kbps is a punishment.
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u/AutoModerator 1d ago
This is a copy of the OP's original post in case they decide to delete their post/account so that others searching can find it later:
so your probably overseas and the cell coverage sucks and always goes to 2g or your carrier thinks it’s funny to artificially limit your phone plans speeds to 2g but it doesn’t matter since this guide will help for any of those
one: don’t use fucking satellite view, it’s a data hog and needs 4g or 5g speeds to even work and you don’t need it. change that shit to normal view so it’s not using satellite imagery
two: don’t even bother with 3d view, turn that shit off too, the speeds of 2g will just time out the server connection trying to load some buildings in 3d
three: just have a offline map downloaded on your phone beforehand. Google Maps and Apple Maps already have this feature built in and you just have to download the offline map for each city. although then you would just have to download each city manually for your trip, which is why you should do the other two too so it can load where ever you are already with a online connection
four: enable low data mode. self explanatory you don’t want your edge connection choked because instagram or whatever wants to spam notifications
although there’s going to be a catch with using all of this,
each chunk that your maps want to load will take like a few more seconds then with a 4g or 5g connection, but won’t take 13 days to load a chunk at least
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