Make Sure You’ve Got a Stable Internet Connection for Google Maps
Google Maps flashes a no network connection error halfway to somewhere you have never been, and the blue route disappears. On back roads and in parking garages the signal thins out, and Google Maps needs live data for turn-by-turn directions, so the moment your internet connection drops the guidance stops too.
Speedify is an app that keeps a phone on Wi-Fi and 4G/5G cellular at the same time, and a computer on wired Ethernet, Starlink and other internet connections too. With only one internet connection, Speedify works as an encrypted VPN and cannot stop that connection from dropping, so keep both Wi-Fi and 4G/5G cellular turned on.
What follows walks through clearing the no network connection error, and what using Speedify means on the road: directions that keep updating instead of vanishing mid-journey.
When it has a working internet connection, Google Maps can:
- give you real-time traffic information
- help you find the best route to your destination
- guide you using turn-by-turn navigation so you will never miss that turn!
- offer food suggestions, places to go, and the best spots in town!
All good and dandy. But have you seen what happens when you travel to a place where the internet signal isn’t too great? Google Maps is convenient only with a stable internet connection. This article covers ways to avoid the Google Maps “No Network Connection” problem.
Why Google Maps Says No Internet Connection
Google Maps says no internet connection when your phone has no working data at that moment: the cell signal is weak or missing, the Wi-Fi network you joined has no internet behind it, or Google Maps is not allowed to use cellular data. On an iPhone, check Settings > Cellular and make sure Google Maps is switched on; on Android, check that background data is allowed for Maps and that Data Saver is off.
Imagine this: you’re going for a hike. The sight is surreal, the air is fresh, the trek is good, but your cell signal is down. There are plenty of stories of hikers getting lost, so you wouldn’t want that! Did you know that approximately 160 visitors per year get lost while visiting national parks?
So how can you make your travels safer? Most important is not to get lost in the first place! Did you know that Google Maps has almost completely plotted the places in the world? Google Maps helps you avoid getting lost in the woods or burning more gas than needed by making the right turns!
How to Fix the Google Maps No Network Connection Error
When things go wrong, here’s what you need to do to fix the “no network connection” situation:
- If you’re connecting to the Internet using a slow or non-working WiFi, try to connect to another hotspot. Smartphones are not good in letting go of a bad WiFi connection.
- Before getting to a remote area, check your network operator’s coverage. See Cellular Tower and Signal Map to see if the place you’re going to has good cell signal.
- Download areas and navigate offline on Google Maps. If you’re driving, this will not show you the traffic levels.
- Always be ready when going to remote areas. See this helpful How to Go Off-Grid Checklist guide.
- Bring an extra phone with a different sim card from your main phone! This is a life saver in case your primary phones cell signal isn’t great.
- Always bring an extra battery to give your phone more juice!
- Combine two internet connections with Speedify so Google Maps keeps its data when one signal fades: Wi-Fi and 4G/5G cellular on your smartphone in town, or on the road, your own 4G/5G cellular plus a passenger’s phone on another carrier (see below).
Google Maps Lost Connection While Driving: Use a Passenger’s Phone
In a car there is rarely Wi-Fi, so the second connection has to be another phone. With Speedify’s cellular sharing, the driver’s phone uses a passenger’s 4G/5G cellular on a different carrier alongside its own, so directions keep loading where the driver’s carrier drops. Set it up before you drive off:
- Install Speedify on both phones (iPhone or Android).
- Turn on Personal Hotspot on one phone and join it from the other, so both phones are on the same local network. One hotspot is enough.
- In Speedify, go to Settings > Pair & Share. Turn on Sharing on the passenger’s phone and Receiving on the driver’s phone.
- Tap Start by Pairing a Device, pick the other phone under Discovered Devices, and accept the request on the other phone.
- Start navigation in Google Maps. When one carrier drops, the directions keep updating over the other.
The passenger’s plan has to allow tethering, and shared data counts as hotspot data. Where neither carrier has a signal, only the offline map from the list above keeps you on route, without traffic or alternate routes.
Keep Google Maps Connected on Wi-Fi and 4G/5G Cellular with Speedify
Speedify is a VPN that combines connections: you can combine multiple Internet connections at once, such as Wi-Fi and 4G/5G cellular. Regular VPNs encrypt data over a single connection, while Speedify’s connection combining sends it over both at the same time. With both connections active, Speedify does not slow down your Internet connection like other VPN services do.
Speedify is able to encrypt all of the data going to and from your mobile device and mask your IP address while making your connection more stable.
Speedify brings the kind of multi-connection internet setup that used to need business hardware to your phone. With two connections, Wi-Fi and 4G/5G cellular in town or two phones on different carriers in the car, Speedify helps prevent Google Maps “No Network Connection” errors while driving or visiting a city; in a remote area with no signal at all, offline maps are the fix.
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