Google Maps Go: Navigation and Directions

Google Maps Go is a navigation and local discovery app by Google LLC that delivers real-time traffic, directions, place search and public transport information in a lightweight progressive web app form. It is built as a slim companion to the full mapping experience, aimed at phones where storage, memory or network quality are tight. Rather than packing every feature into a heavy native package, it leans on a web-based core, which is why the installed file takes up only 1.7 MB.

The app covers the essentials of getting around: turn-by-turn style directions with route preview, live traffic conditions, and schedules for trains, buses and metro systems. You can also look up millions of places, check phone numbers and addresses, read customer reviews, view food photos, and save spots you visit often so they are easy to find again later. Coverage is broad, spanning maps in 200 countries and territories, transit data for more than 20,000 cities, and business details for over 100 million places, with the interface available in 70+ languages.

On the privacy side, the permission list is unusually short: the app requests only location access, which is the minimum needed for routing and nearby search. There are no in-app purchases, the content rating is Everyone, and the app is free to use. It has been available since early 2018 and the current build, version 167.0, was published on 2026-07-04, with the most recent update on 2026-06-29 bringing bug fixes and stability improvements. Note that ads are present, and the app requires Android 10 or newer.

Because it is a progressive web app, it depends on Chrome being installed; if you would rather not add Chrome, the same mapping service can be reached through a mobile browser instead. That dependency is worth knowing before you install, since the app will not function as intended without it.

Key features

• Real-time traffic information and traffic maps for faster routes
• Step-by-step directions with route preview for planning trips
• Route combinations including two-wheelers, metro, buses, taxi, walking and ferries
• Live public transport schedules for metro, bus and train in over 20,000 cities
• Search for restaurants, businesses and nearby places with reviews and photos
• Phone numbers and addresses for millions of places
• Save frequently visited places for quick access later
• Maps covering 200 countries and territories, including satellite and terrain views
• Interface available in more than 70 languages

How to install

1. Tap the download button on this page to get the APK file.
2. When Android asks, allow your browser or file manager to install apps by enabling the "Install unknown apps" setting for that app.
3. Open the downloaded APK file from your notifications or file manager. The file is only 1.7 MB, so it downloads quickly.
4. Tap Install and wait for the process to finish.
5. Open the app. Your device must be running Android 10 or newer.
6. Grant location access when prompted so directions and nearby search can work.

Latest changes

The release notes for this version of Google Maps Go state that it includes bug fixes and stability improvements. No other changes or new features are described in the available details. The app itself is a lightweight version of Google Maps that requires Chrome, and it is designed to work on devices with limited memory and on unreliable networks. It provides real-time traffic updates, directions, and public transport information, and its maps cover 200 countries and territories.

Owners of budget or older phones with little free storage, travelers on slow or unreliable mobile networks, and anyone who wants basic maps, transit schedules and place search without granting a long list of permissions.

Since location is the only permission the app asks for, you can keep it set to "while using the app" rather than always-on, and still get directions and nearby results during a session.

Google Maps Go trades depth for lightness, and for many people that is the right trade. It handles navigation, traffic and public transport well, asks for almost nothing in the way of permissions, and occupies barely any storage. The catch is its reliance on Chrome and its ad-supported, feature-reduced nature. If your phone is modest or your connection is patchy, it is a sensible everyday choice; if you need advanced mapping tools, the heavier option may suit you better.