Google Maps Offline Android Development

Question

I just saw this link

https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2015/11/navigate-and-search-real-world-online.html

and was wondering if there is a way with using this downloaded map in my own mapping application.

Like if I go to Google Maps, download the area, and then in my own app upload that area and use it as offline use.

Has anyone been able to do this or is Google ever going to allow this?

Answer 1

Is it possible? Yes,it is possible, there are different ways to do it, here you can find one: * TileProvider using local tiles

The problem is that

Google do not allow it.

On their terms and permissions about google maps API (http://www.google.com/permissions/geoguidelines.html) on "Using maps on the web or in applications" they mention:

"When using the Google Maps API, certain restrictions may apply. Google continually updates the imagery within Maps; thus, caching may result in stale or even impermissible imagery. You may also not mass download or use bulk feeds of any Content, including but not limited to extracting numerical latitude or longitude coordinates, geocoding, text-based directions, imagery, visible map data, or Places data (including business listings) for use in other applications."

On the hand, there are other maps providers that allow this practice. Some of them:

-Open street map:

-OSMDroid

-ESRI/Arcgis (arcgis is based on ESRI's cloud services)

is Google ever going to allow this?

Google maps introduced last month (November 2015) the offline mode, does not only download the map, but also the different locations (images, tiles, etc) within. Even if downloading just the maps is possible since 2012, maybe the introduction of offline features can change their perspective over their offline assets terms, but until they do not change their permissions agreement, it is just speculation.