How to Download Offline Maps in Amap Before Arriving
Last updated: 2026-04-30
Mobile data in China is generally reliable in cities, but subway stations, underground malls, and rural areas often have weak or no signal. Downloading offline maps in 
What Offline Maps Include
Amap's offline maps include road maps, points of interest (hotels, attractions, restaurants), and transit station locations. Turn-by-turn navigation works offline for walking and driving. Transit directions (metro/bus) require an internet connection for real-time schedules, but the station locations and line maps are available offline.
Downloading a City Map
1. Open Amap and go to Offline Maps
Tap the profile icon (bottom right) → Offline Maps. You'll see a list of provinces and cities available for download.
2. Find your destination city
Scroll or search for the city you're visiting. Major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Xi'an are listed individually. Smaller cities are grouped under their province.
3. Download the map
Tap the city name → Download. The download size varies: major cities are typically 100–300 MB. Connect to Wi-Fi before downloading to avoid using mobile data.
4. Wait for the download to complete
The download progress shows as a percentage. Keep the app open until it finishes. Once complete, the city shows a green checkmark.
Download maps for all cities on your itinerary before leaving home. Airport and hotel Wi-Fi is often slow — downloading 300 MB maps on a congested hotel network can take a long time.
Managing Downloaded Maps
Downloaded maps are stored locally on your phone. To manage them:
- Update: Amap notifies you when a newer version of a downloaded map is available. Tap Update to refresh.
- Delete: Tap the city → Delete to remove a map and free up storage.
- Storage: All downloaded maps are listed under Offline Maps with their file sizes.
Using Offline Maps
Once downloaded, offline maps work automatically — you don't need to switch any setting. When your phone has no internet connection, Amap uses the offline map. The blue navigation dot still works using GPS (which doesn't require data).
GPS works without mobile data — your phone's GPS chip communicates with satellites, not cell towers. Amap's offline maps + GPS means you can always see where you are and navigate, even with no SIM card signal.
Practical Tips
- Download before the trip: Maps can't be downloaded without internet, so do it before you arrive.
- Multiple cities: You can have maps for multiple cities downloaded simultaneously. Download every city on your itinerary.
- Province maps: If you're traveling through rural areas, download the province map rather than individual cities — it covers roads and towns not listed as individual cities.
- Map freshness: Amap updates city maps regularly. If you downloaded a map months ago, update it before your trip to get the latest road and POI data.