At the third annual ‘Google for India’ event in Delhi, the company rolled out 2-wheeler mode for Google Maps in India.

In the latest version of the Google Maps app, the 2-wheeler mode displays shortcuts that aren't accessible to cars and larger vehicles. While planning the route, a rider can view major local landmarks on the way which will be useful during navigation. This way, the rider wouldn’t have to check the phone frequently while riding. Voice-guided navigation like the car mode has also been carried forward to the 2-wheeler mode.

India is the first country to get the 2-wheeler mode where a large portion of the population uses bikes and scooters for their daily commute. The 2-wheeler mode for Google Maps will be available in other countries in the coming months.

Link to Team-BHP's Google Maps discussion

In a move that will find many of us with unreliable internet connections rejoicing, Google Maps offline has now been launched in India. You can now download the map of an area for offline access to your phone, and even if your internet connections fails, Google Maps will continue to work. The offline functions include turn-by-turn navigation and searching for specific destinations.

As an example, if you are on your way to Bangalore and aren't sure how well your service provider will perform there, you can download the maps of Bangalore in Google Maps by searching for “Bangalore”, and then tapping "download" or by going to "offline areas" in the Google Maps menu and tapping the “+” button to add a location.

It is important to note that Google Maps will only download areas to your device when you are on a Wi-Fi connection. Once you’ve downloaded your map, Google Maps will work even when you’re somewhere with inconsistent or no connectivity at all. When a connection is found, it will switch back to online mode, so you can access the full version of Maps, including live traffic conditions for your current route. The feature will make its way to Google Maps on iOS as well.