Google Maps storage usage can impact smartphone memory

Google Maps can consume several gigabytes of storage on smartphones, which may significantly impact devices with limited capacity, such as those with 64 GB or 128 GB of internal memory.

Key contributors to high storage usage include offline maps, search data, app cache, and location history. While downloading individual cities has a minimal impact, downloading multiple large regions can accumulate into several gigabytes. Users can manage this by accessing the ‘Offline Maps’ section within the app settings to delete unused areas and disable automatic updates or recommended map downloads.

Additionally, the ‘Timeline’ feature, which tracks movement history, contributes to storage consumption. Following a shift by Google to store location history directly on the device rather than exclusively in the cloud, years of accumulated travel data may now reside on the smartphone itself.