Huawei’s latest update to its Google Maps alternative called Petal Maps is now out, and it brings with it a very useful new feature. Namely, you can use navigation directions without being connected to the internet.
This is live as of version 5.3.0.302. Obviously, to use this you first need to download the maps for the area you’re going to navigate through, which you can do using the Offline Map Resource Package. Then you just need to enable the Offline Map function and start navigating.
Huawei Petal Maps 5.3.0.302 new features: offline navigation (left), location privacy (center), ticket booking (right)
The latest update also introduces the ability to use positioning that isn’t precise – when this is enabled the app will display a dynamic circle with a radius of around 5km as your location. This is a privacy feature that Google added to Android a while back, and now the same concept is supported in Petal Maps.
In China, the app now supports Tongcheng travel services, thus letting you book tickets for popular attractions right inside Petal Maps, without the need for an additional app installed or a redirect to a website.