Multiple sources like this are reporting that since pokemon go is using the Google maps API one can simply download the offline maps of the area he is in and voilà…. pokemon go no more needs to download the map data of that area.
But since downloading offline maps does nothing else than downloading a file which can be launched with the googlemaps app to access that area offline, I was skeptical how pokemon go should even know about the offline data beeing available. I gave it a try anyway and noticed…. Nothing…
So in case this trick is working at all, one needs at least somehow let the app know that the data is available allready and not required to be downloaded. As thats what my app keeps doing, every time I start the app I'm loosing a lot of time untill the map is onscreen.
So my question is: Is it verifyed that this method is working?
In case it is, how do I setup the offline data to be preferential accessed?
Best Answer
It is unlikely that this will work. smartphone apps are sandboxed, meaning each app essentially runs in a separate environment with no access to any of the phone's features. To access resources outside of that sandbox, apps need permission from the user. That's why apps ask for permission when you install them or do something that requires access to non-standard things like contacts, camera, call information,...
Both Google Maps and Pokémon Go are sandboxed in this manner, meaning that any maps you download in Google Maps will only be available in the Google Mapps app. There might be a way for other apps to access these offline maps, but that requires the other app to:
In addition, an offline map might be outdated depending on when it was last updated. Roads may be added or removed, Points of Interest might be added or removed, street names might have changed, and in some extreme cases, an entire village might have been moved several miles. If your offline map is too old, it might not be compatible with the Niantic app, leading to possible claims that you are cheating.