How to cache Google map tiles for offline usage

Question

Like Nokia s OVI maps can be used offline  there must be some way of caching Google map tiles too  Any hints

User · Answer

If you are trying to cache the tiles that Google serves, that may be a violation of Google's Terms of Service (unless, under certain circumstances, if you've purchased their enterprise Maps API Premier). That's why gmapcatcher has it crossed off their list. See http://code.google.com/p/gmapcatcher/issues/detail?id=210.

At the gmapcatcher URL above, you will also find a shell script that can download tiles (or so its author says).

There are also other projects that try to make Google Maps available offline:

http://code.google.com/p/ogmaps/

http://code.google.com/p/gmapoffline/

Lastly, if Google Earth can meet your needs, then you can use that. Offline usage of Google Earth requires a Google Earth Enterprise license according to http://www.google.com/permissions/geoguidelines.html.

Note that the preceding page also says: "You may not scrape or otherwise export Content from Google Maps or Earth or save it for offline use." So if you try to cache tiles, that will almost certainly be considered (by Google, anyway) a violation of the Terms of Service.

User · Answer

On Android platforms  Oruxmaps  http   www oruxmaps com  does a great job at caching all WMS sources   It is available in the play store  I use it daily in remote areas without any connectivity  works like a charm

User · Answer

update   I found the terms of use from Google Map   Section 10 5     No caching or storage  You will not pre-fetch  cache  index  or store   any Content to be used outside the Service  except that you may store   limited amounts of Content solely for the purpose of improving the   performance of your Maps API Implementation due to network latency    and not for the purpose of preventing Google from accurately tracking   usage   and only if such storage  is temporary  and in no event more   than 30 calendar days   is secure  does not manipulate or aggregate   any part of the Content or Service  and does not modify attribution in   any way    It means we can cache for limited time actually

User · Answer

On http   www google com earth media licensing html there is a  Mobile  section containing    Similar to our online terms  if you use our APIs or a mobile device   s native Google Maps implementation  such as on an Android-powered phone or iPhone   no special permission is required  but you must always keep the Google name visible  Offline caching of our content is never allowed

User · Answer

You can use Open Street Map   you will find dozens of different layers and map types  and this is absolutely free  You can download all the map tiles you want  And of course  as anyone can enhance the map  it displays more information than Google s maps   If you need help  you can ask the community which is also very active

User · Answer

Unfortunately  I found this link which appears to indicate that we cannot cache these locally  therefore making this question moot   http   support google com enterprise doc gme terms maps purchase agreement html     4 4 Cache Restrictions  Customer may not pre-fetch  retrieve  cache  index  or store any Content  or portion of the Services with the exception being Customer may store limited amounts of Content solely to improve the performance of the Customer Implementation due to network latency  and only if Customer does so temporarily  securely  and in a manner that  a  does not permit use of the Content outside of the Services   b  is session-based only  once the browser is closed  any additional storage is prohibited    c  does not manipulate or aggregate any Content or portion of the Services   d  does not prevent Google from accurately tracking Page Views  and  e  does not modify or adjust attribution in any way    So it appears we cannot use Google map tiles offline  legally

[caching] How to cache Google map tiles for offline usage?

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