Technologies
No Internet? That’s Fine, You Can Still Use Google Maps on Your Phone
Take Google Maps offline if you ever get lost and don’t have service.

A couple weeks ago, my friends and I got lost while driving back to our cabin in Mariposa, near Yosemite National Park. A major snowstorm had just swept through the Sierra Nevada mountain range, and so many busy highways, streets and smaller roads were shut down. We wanted to save time on our drive, so we decided to take a shortcut (bad decision) — and of course we soon realized we were heading the wrong way. To top it off, none of us had service, so we couldn’t even use Google Maps to find our way back.
Don’t miss: Google Maps Cheat Sheet: The Most Useful Tricks You Need to Know
Eventually, after hours of trying different roads, we managed to get to our cabin, but we could have avoided all that trouble by simply downloading Google Maps offline (and also by not taking that «shortcut»). Even without internet service, Google Maps can still help you navigate where you need to go — you just have to download the correct map.
If you’re planning a trip somewhere you may not have internet service, you should download a map (or several) offline on Google Maps. Here’s what you need to know.
Want to check out other Google Maps tips and tricks? Check out how to blur your house on Google Maps and three new Google Maps features you’ll definitely want to know about.
How to download Google Maps offline
First off, you don’t need to download Google Maps in its entirety. Instead, before your trip, you’ll want to download a specific area, which could be a city, county or region where you’ll be spending time and might not have service on your phone.
To download a map in Google Maps offline, open the Google Maps application on iOS or Android and tap your profile picture on the top right (you must be logged in to your Google account for this to work). In the menu that appears, tap Offline maps > Select Your Own Map.
Use your fingers to place the map you want to download within the confines of the rectangle border. Use one finger to move across the map, and a two-finger pinch to zoom in and out. As you move around the map, you’ll see how much storage space the download will take up on your phone. Once you’re happy with the area, tap Download.
Note: Alternatively, you can type a city or other area into Google Maps and then hit the Download button that appears in the pull-up window to download the map offline, but this only works on the iPhone.
You must be connected to Wi-Fi to download the map. If you want to download over cellular, go to the Offline maps page, tap the gear icon on the top right, tap When to download offline maps and select Over Wi-Fi or mobile network. Once your map is downloaded, you’ll be sent back to the Offline maps page, where you can see all your offline maps.
Now you’ll be able to use Google Maps even when you’re offline in the area you downloaded — and in that area only. You won’t get extremely accurate travel times or alternate route options because traffic and other road issues are not accounted for, but you will get a general ballpark of how long your trip should take. Transit, bicycling and walking directions are also not available offline — only driving directions.
If you want more tips on Google in general, make sure to read which Google Home settings you need to change ASAP and this deep dive on Google’s Pixel 7 and the settings you should customize.
Technologies
Keep Your Phone Charged on Long Drives With $18 Off This Wireless Satechi Mount
It clips on to your car AC vents and supports 15W wireless power delivery, and right now you can pick it up for just $42.

Most of us use our phone GPS to get directions while we’re on the road, so a car charger that keeps it front and center is a must for long drives. This sleek and simple Satechi wireless charger is the perfect solution, and right now you can pick it up for less. It typically lists for $60, but right now, you can use the promo code CHARGE30 to get 30% off, which drops the price to just $42. There’s no telling how long this deal will last, so you may want to get your order in sooner rather than later to get these savings.
This compact wireless charger clips on to your car AC vents and has a swivel mount to find the perfect viewing angle. It’s also MagSafe compatible, and it’s equipped with a powerful magnet to keep your device securely in place. You’ll need to plug it into your vehicle’s cigarette lighter with the included adapter and USB-C cable, and it delivers 15W wireless charging to keep your phone’s battery juiced up during your drive.
Why this deal matters
Satechi’s mobile accessories are sleek and well-designed, and it’s a trusted brand here at CNET. Deals don’t come around all too often, particularly outside of major shopping events, so we’d recommend taking advantage of this $18 discount while you can.
Technologies
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: What We Know About Samsung’s Upcoming Phone
Samsung’s next Galaxy S25 model will get a thinner design, and should be getting a larger reveal later this year.

Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge is set to kick off a year of premium phones that spotlight a thin and light design. The S25 Edge stole the spotlight from the rest of the S25 lineup during Samsung’s January event, and will arrive as other companies begin to announce their own thin phone concepts. This slimmer edition of the Galaxy S25 was available for attendees to see after Samsung’s keynote, but the phone hasn’t yet been available for a hands-on.
While the Galaxy S25 Ultra and the regular S25 and S25 Plus are now available, we are still waiting for more details about the Edge phone, which is set for release later this year.
Here’s everything we know so far, along with some rumors on what we could get with the S25 Edge.
What does the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge look like?
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge’s actual dimensions aren’t yet available, but a display showcasing a first look at the phone shows that it’s noticeably slimmer than a standard Android flagship phone. Samsung placed its first look at the Edge alongside stand-in models that approximated the typical thickness of other phones.
This implied that the S25 Edge would have similar height and width dimensions to phones similar to the standard Galaxy S25 but would be noticeably slimmer. Unlike other S25 phones that have three or more rear cameras, this edition will include only two, like the foldable Z Flip series.
The S25 Edge also will prioritize durability despite its thinner frame, according to Samsung UK Marketing Director Annika Bizon. After remarking on the phone’s design that was revealed in January as a top feature, Bizon began teasing the phone’s durability during an interview with TechRadar at Mobile World Congress 2025.
«With anything slim, durability [has to come as part of the package]. Those are the two features [of the Edge] that are exciting [for us]. Well, I know durability isn’t exciting, but it’s really important. So watch this space because there are some exciting things to come regarding this phone,» Bizon told TechRadar.
We don’t have any other specs at the moment but it’s possible this phone will sacrifice other attributes to maintain its slimmer frame.
When will the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge arrive in stores?
A specific release date has not yet been revealed for the new phone, but according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the Edge should be arriving in the US and other markets by the middle of 2025. Samsung’s TM Roh, the company’s president of mobile devices, told Bloomberg that the Edge would be one of at least two new devices on the way, including a mixed reality headset that will run on Android XR.
Should that release period pan out, we might see the S25 Edge arrive around the summer, which is when Samsung typically unveils its foldable phones and new Galaxy Watches.
How much will the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge cost?
In the same Bloomberg report, Roh said that pricing wasn’t settled by Samsung yet, but that the Edge is expected to be cheaper than the $1,300 Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
«Our goal is to position this at pricing that is lower than the Ultra models, so it’s more accessible and has more customers,» Roh said in the report.
Will the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge include a curved screen like prior Galaxy Edge phones?
Samsung used to use the Edge name to delineate Galaxy phones that had a curved screen. This included Edge editions of the Samsung Galaxy S6, S7 and the Galaxy Note. While the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge appears to be a revival of the name, it does not imply a curved edge display.
If you are looking for a phone with a curved edge display, though, last year’s Motorola Edge and the OnePlus 12 each include displays that wrap around the edges.
What Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge rumors are out there?
Current speculation about the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge pertains to the phone’s cameras but little appears to have gained traction as of this writing.
According to GSMArena’s report citing a post on X by user PandaFlashPro, the phone could have a 200-megapixel main camera alongside a 12-megapixel ultrawide one. If that were to be true, its main camera would be comparable to what’s seen on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
What about Apple’s rumored iPhone 17 Slim?
Apple’s rumored to be developing its own slimmer take on the iPhone, and it’s possible that Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge could beat it to the market. We have an entirely different rumor roundup on what we’ve heard about a possible iPhone 17 Slim, which might replace the «Plus» edition of the iPhone that Apple’s been releasing since the iPhone 14.
Technologies
The Asteroid That Was Predicted to Hit Earth: See It in a New Image
A NASA telescope captured images of the asteroid that had a chance of hitting Earth three months ago.

A few months ago, an asteroid created quite a buzz. At one point, asteroid 2024 YR4 had a 3.1% chance of hitting Earth, creating plenty of headlines about its potential impact. The threat is all but gone, but we now have pictures of the once-worrisome asteroid.
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope captured images of the asteroid with two cameras, including the Near-Infrared Camera and the Mid-Infrared Instrument. The former measures reflected light, while the latter shows thermal energy. The images were posted by the European Space Agency last week. The pictures demonstrate a couple of fun facts about the asteroid: It is the smallest object ever targeted by JWST’s instruments to date, and it’s one of the smallest objects ever directly measured.
Estimates initially put the asteroid at around 40 to 90 meters. The actual size turned out to be 60 meters or around 180 feet. «These measurements indicate that this asteroid does not share properties observed in larger asteroids,» the European Space Agency said in its post. «This is likely a combination of its fast spin and lack of fine-grained sand on its surface. Further research is needed, however, this is considered consistent with a surface dominated by rocks that are roughly fist-sized or larger.»
According to NASA, the asteroid will only be visible from Earth for a little longer. It orbit is now taking it away from Earth, and the agency estimates that it will disappear from even the strongest telescope instruments by late April or early May. NASA said the asteroid will not be visible again until 2028 when its orbit brings it back toward Earth.
The asteroid may hit the moon
The 2024 YR4 asteroid caused quite a stir when astronomers first reported it via the Minor Planet Center in December 2024. Based on the data collected on its trajectory at that point, the asteroid had a 1.3% chance of hitting Earth.
The percentage fluctuated over the next few months, reaching as high as 3.1%. After further research, the odds dropped dramatically to 0.28%. According to NASA’s Sentry tool, which monitors asteroids that may impact Earth, the threat now sits at 0.00078%.
The moon may not be so lucky. Per NASA, the odds of the asteroid impacting the moon are somewhere around 3.8%, which is even higher odds than the asteroid ever had of impacting Earth. Scientists are gathering data before the asteroid disappears, but it’s likely we won’t know more until the asteroid comes back into view in 2028.
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