How to move offline map data to your SD card in Windows Phone

By Sam Sabri
published

Offline maps are one of the nicest features in Windows Phone. You can download maps for your region, so you don't eat into your data plan each time you want to use map data. Offline map data is saved by default to your phone storage. You might want to move the offline map data to your SD card if you have one, here's how.

We recently looked at how you can move apps and games from your phone storage to your SD card in Windows Phone 8.1. You can also move podcasts, music, photos and videos using this method. It just doesn't work with all that offline map data you have.

The size of your offline map data will depend on where you live. For example, the offline map data size for Vatican City comes in at just 51MB. You might as well keep that on your phone storage since it's not much. On the flip side, the state of California needs 342.7MB for its offline map data. You're probably going to want to put that on your SD card if you're hurting for space, so let's do it.

You're going to want to grab the Lumia Storage check beta app to do this. It's a free app from Microsoft Mobile in the Windows Phone Store. It originally launched in March 2013 as a way to help Windows Phone users visualize their data and control it. Storage sense in Windows Phone 8.1 more or less made the Lumia Storage check app irrelevant, except you still need it to control map data.

How to move offline map data to your SD card

Step one? Remove offline map data already on your phone. Sorry, you can't just 'move' the data from the phone to the SD card. At least not yet. We're going to have to remove the map data already on your phone before we can put it on the SD card. Failure to do this will result in you have the same map data on both your phone AND your SD card. Sort of making the whole point of this article moot.

Let's remove it, go to settings -> swipe over to applications -> maps -> download maps and then select and delete any already installed maps. Do that, and we can get the party started to put offline map data on your SD card.

  • Download and install Lumia Storage check beta [Download]
  • Launch Lumia Storage check
  • Swipe over to details and click on change beneath Maps
  • Select SD card for where your phone stores maps
  • Re-download offline map data

Do the following, and when you go back to download offline map data, it'll be saved on your SD card now. A little bit of work, but it's how you get that data to your SD card. You'll want to move it to your SD card if you're planning on doing a lot of travel and don't want to eat through your data plan when using maps.

Let us know if you move your offline map data to your SD card. Don't forget to list how much storage space you're using for offline map data!

Via: Windows Phone Central Forums

Sam Sabri
Sam Sabri
148 Comments
  • Nice ! Forwarding this to my friend who just bought L630. Thanks Sam !
  • You should forward the wpcentrall app... Just sayin ;)
  • NO, sharing your information with friends make you look smart :S
  • Forwarded before the day of this article. ICHMI = In case he miss it :P
  • And is there any way not-Lumia users can do this? I really want the maps on my SD card, but I don't have a Nokia Lumia, so I'm not allowed to download the app.
    Any further ideas???
  • However do remember this works in HERE Maps But not with the default Maps application. In the default Maps app it will use data to get you map data. If you want the default Maps app to view offline data you have to store it on the phone memory not the SD card.
  • Knew of this trick from a while back..great to see it turn up here...as for default map app...hardly use that....here does the tricks for me..
  • Works for both default Maps and HERE Maps
  • The size depends on where you live... Uh no, it depends on the maps you've downloaded.
  • Weird that you have to install another app to do it. Any way to reach out to microsoft and let them know about this?
  • although they do apparently read these comments. hopefully they'll notice this now that it's bolded and look above.
  • Yeah im sure ativ s users are wondering why this hasn't been integrated into the os aswell. Ran outta time my guess is.
  • Complaining about a great feature? only on WPCentral...
  • THANK YOU FOR THIS TIMELY ARTICLE. Sorry for the all caps but I was that excited when I read this. Too bad I have to use a beta version of storage sense (check) to do it, it it will be worth it to save over 3 GB of phone memory. Wqell worth the effort.
  • Do remember this works in HERE Maps But not with the default Maps application. In the default Maps app it will use data to get you map data. If you want the default Maps app to view offline data you have to store it on the phone memory not the SD card.
  • Wrong again. Works for both!
  • I didn't know it was possible to move it to SD card, thanks for the tip!
  • Unfortunately the Lumia Storage Check beta has ended, and the app will soon be pulled, leaving no way to store maps on SD: https://betalabs.nokia.com/trials/Storage-Check
  • That explains why I can't find it :( Bummer.  Hope they come out with another solution.
  • Shoud still be there:   Excerpt from the Nokia Beta Labs: Official version released as an update via Store, but Beta 3 stays around. We have just released the official version as an update via the Store. It has all the beta 3 features, except the one to store Maps on SD card. The decision to omit this feature was made after a survey sent out to many of you. A small, but still volume-wise significant number of users would be having trouble with the feature and we want to work on the SD card interface reliability a bit more before considering the inclusion of this feature again. As the official version lacks the Maps-on-SD-card feature, we are going to keep the Beta 3 around for you who want to use it or revert back to using phone memory instead.
  • I also tried searching the app. But it didn't show up. So tried the alternative. You can also try it: In your phone browser, navigate to the following link: http://www.windowsphone.com/s?appId=c2adc981-83c2-4f19-8161-67149e44214c I hope this will help. Cheers.
  • Make a backup of your SD card, then no worries even if app gets pulled.
  • To bad it still checks the marketplace otherwise it would work unless you load it using dev unlocked methods
  • Do we need to keep the beta app for the phone to look on the SD card? If not, then, once its on the SD, we are good.
  • Idiots, beta apps don't appear in store unless the publisher make it public. You need link of the app to download it, like the Facebook beta. Download sysapp pusher for downloading microsoft and nokia original apps.
  • Actually its like no need to delete the current maps from phone and to reinstall ... Js download storage check beta and you will get an option to move your maps to sd card ... :)
  • Read the article.
  • The option of MOVING the map from phone to SD Card is already not available(i have 8.1 update 1). I have just noticed it after i read this article. before, there is an option of moving. So sad that today, we just cant move, but to delete and download new one.
  • Ohk .. Is it removed i aint knew about this ... Lol but i have already installed on my phone ..,
  • Thanx! Now that's something new
  • I am the only person that the 64gb micro SD card keeps getting corrupted in the Lumia 1520???
  • No not the only one
  • I have a green 1520. 64gig SanDisk in mine, working fine so far.
  • I bought a Sony instead of SanDisk for my 1520's. Wanted to try something different. Had some trouble with Transcend flash drives lately.
  • Any problems with touch/tap on your 1520?
  • I have that problem often on my 520. I've had to move the apps I use the most to the phone but it means I often have to wait for the phone to sort it out before u can listen to music
  • Your memory card needs to be formatted correctly. Read this article it should help you out. Link:www.nokia.com/in-en/support/faq/?action=singleTopic&topic=FA141381
  • Never happens to me, have a 64gig SanDisk, 45gig used... No problems ever.
  • I've had it happen with a Kingston 64 gig and a Samsung pro 64 gig
  • But did you format the card first with your phone, or where you just plug it in and start using it?
    I always let the device format the memory card first, even if it's a new card, and i never experienced problems with my cards due to this rutine I think. Lately I bought a new Panasonic HD camcorder with a 64 GB SD card. Even if the card was readable for the camera, I formatted the card first.
    So therefore, you should always start with formatting the card from the device.
  • There were issues with the factory loaded firmware for some models which came with Lumia black loaded. Fix is simple. Use recovery tool and install latest version. Or go to Nokia store and let them do it. Still not fixing, then your card is bad. I hope you scanned your card already for issues.
  • I'm sorry but it's Nokia's fault this time. I've got a Lumia 820 which came back from repair and they changed it with another one, so I actually I used 2 different 820s and still my SD doesn't work on my phone. It works fine on a 520 and on every other device in the world but it still fails on my phone. I was just downloading some maps to the SD and it got disconnected while the download was going, and now anything that works with the SD just crashed (Storage Sense for example). Before 8.1 checking for updates forced the SD to remount, now it doesn't and I need to reboot. I've spent countless hours dealing with the customer care and nobody came up with a working solution. This means that I can't install my apps on the SD because it just fails everytime and so the apps won't work. Same goes for music and pictures. And I'm talking about a class 10 32GB SanDisk card, not some crap cheap model.
  • I had forgotten about LSCbeta. I'm using 370mb with Indiana and Florida installed on my SD card now. Going to Florida for a business/vacation trip in a few days. Thanks for the reminder/tip.
  • Lol thanks.. I did it way back an somehow deleted lumia storage check beta.. When I go to storage sense it shows maps to sd card. And when I open maps it doesn't affect the working. Is deleting the app after completion of moving maps a good thing to do ?
  • After you've moved the maps to the SD card, they're on the SD card. Said and done, regardless of the Storage Check app being there.
  • Thanks :)
  • Thanks
  • Thanks for the info, moving my maps to the SD card justo ahora!
  • Right article at the right time. Thank You.
  • Does Waze use these maps or are they only for Here Drive?
  • Other apps can tap into them. I know Navigon does. But I don't think Waze uses this.
  • Wow, I really need this. Thank you for posting.
  • Does deleting maps already saved in phone storage also delete favorite locations saved in maps??
  • Favorites will be saved in your Nokia account if you login in your settings. You can sync it to any phone / pc when you login to Nokia account or open Here map.
  • It looks like the data sense that comes with WP8.1 will do the same thing. It doesn't say maps specifically but it does say new downloads to SD card. I haven't tried it yet but will have to.
  • No, storage sense won't work.I selected this option still my maps got downloaded in my phone memory .
  • Ok... That's good to know. Thanks. Guess I'm downloading this app then.
  • Yep, I figured I needed the entire country on my phone ( never know were I might end up after a long, brutal night), it takes 3.2gb or so. Nice to have the room back.
  • And we cannot exactly "move" maps from phone to SD..The title should be how can we store maps on SD card.
  • Misleading headline. You can't move existing maps. You have to uninstall them first, change settings and then reinstall them to the SD card. But yeah, I can understand. These details would be too long for a simple headline.
  • It's also misleading as only Microsoft Mobile devices can do this, HTC and Samsung users are SOL.
  • Thank you very for this information. Just downloaded all india map, ,which was more than 1gb. Posted via the WPC App for Android!
  • Same here. And, took up most of my space.
  • deleted, installed, downloaded Ga, NC, SC, TN, Fla, AL offline; total storage used 860 MB
  • Thanks, always wanted that.
  • Yo ya sabia de esto...   de hace 5 meses atras...  xd
  • One of the first things I did on our 2 phones with us having maps offline for 4 states that we use alot.
  • Storage Check is built in-at least on my ATT 1520. "Lumia Storage Check" is identical.
  • Although, there is a slight twist, if you ask it store your maps on sd card, while looking for the downloaded apps in the phone, it wont shown from,anywhere be it from the app or from settings.
  • Ya, it took me in half an hour to find the maps on my phone and delete it..it stays hidden if you select the SD card option in storage check app..twisted ,unnecessary and ridiculous
  • To Microsoft- please add it to storage sense.
  • 793.47MB of United States maps. I have Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio. I'll probably add Georgia in the future. Thank you for the tutorial on how to move the map data to my SD card. My Lumia 1520 and 64GB SD card both send their thanks.
  • Thank you but its k I will keep with the phone itself
  • I have a Lumia 1520 with WP 8.1 + Cyan + Update 1 and I can't find this app anywhere. How do I get the downloaded maps to my SD card? There were no instructions for anyone who can't get this app.
  • For this install SysApp pusher app in that you will find Lumia storage check beta app.
  • I find the same too, after an update 1 this option is no longer available...
  • You mean "How to move offline map data to your SD card on your Lumia phone". I find it odd that this is still not built into the OS.
  • How about MS offer a option in the next WP8.1 update inside the Storage Sense for that?? Select the location to Maps Data.
  • I am using 1GB data on Lumia 720 as I downloaded full India map from past 7-9 months when this app come. I am still on wp8.0, waiting for official OTA wp8.1/Lumia Cyan update.
  • Is there any way to do this on non-Nokia devices, like HTC?
  • Wait, there are non-Lumia WP devices? I thought those were a myth? Oh yeah, that just because I read Lumia Phone Central where they forget that some of us don't have Lumias. No, there is probably no way to do it on your HTC. The Storage Sense app thats built-in will not do it hence this article pointing out that you need the Microsoft Mobile published storage check app.
  • Sweet no sd in 1020
  • Why it is in beta version??? Why cant it be in normal Lumia storage check????? Plz update that
  • Does anyone know if viewing maps with aerial view uses more data or battery or is it all the same?
  • If you mean satellite view, that is not prunes and will use up data and battery.
  • Thanks.  I'll limit my use on that view.
  • Another beta app from 2013. I like this. Nokia 5230 was installing maps in 2009, now Microsoft Windows Phone has done it!
  • Still no way to clear Other storage :'(
  • Can anyone tell me where to download offline maps
  • Anyway to get rid of the default map?
  • are there performance penalties for storing apps and app data on SD (processing,battery,etc)?
  • Depends on the class of sd card. I had class 4 card which was little slow but I upgraded to class 10 and there's no difference in performance if apps were in phone memory
  • India @ around 1.4GB
  • I would like to thank Mr. Sabri. This tip is a life saver.
  • Thanks for re confirming this!
  • Lumia storage check beta is not listed for my mobile..
    I'm using Lumia 720 from India...!!
  • I don't recommend moving maps to the micro SD card on a Lumia 521. It causes Here Drive to become FAR less stable and slow, even with a Class 10/UHS 1 32 or 64 gig card.
  • Great.  Now sort out HERE maps being available for Japan!!!  Still no maps for such a first-world country.  MS you should be ashamed!
  • Doesn't always give you the quickest route though, added 1 hour to a journey in Holland earlier this month
  • Isn't it time we had some new features in here maps and drive. It must be a year since we had done new features. Symbian version was so much better..
  • Windows Phone 8 and Nokia Lumia family hype is over now. The HERE program suite was an "exclusive" (how I hate this word for consumer-grade junky quality products) offer for Nokia phones. Now, as the hype is over, its no longer a sales-generator new thing, so it is not considered to be critical anymore. So, they dont put that much money into it. So new features coming to the platform has slowed down. Nothing unexpected actually, thats how the market works.
  • Well traffic rerouting is a necessity of they want to compete with Google maps. The only thing Here maps has is its offline capability, otherwise it is second rate.
  • If I remmember correctly, the main selling point in 2012 autumn for Lumias was the fact that the navigation system can work offline. As its not a selling point anymore, I am really curious whether they (Nokia) want to highlight any new advanced feature, so they clearly express their intention to keep the development active.
     
  • How exactly is this "moving offline map data to your SD card"? You're uninstalling the already downloaded maps from phone, and downloading again in SD card. You're not actually moving anything.   
  • +Agree
  • Indeed
  • Off topic, HERE DRIVE really need to update itself with new features. This app is good but far from perfect and is rather old now. At least give me multiple routes for me to choose.
  • U can choose either the fastest on or shortest one.
  • Come on. I've told it somewhere in comments like 8 months ago. Srsly is this even new?
  • Yeah bro, me too
    I discovered it before like 3 months
    Before even installing the Lumia Cyan
  • Does this now work on non Lumias? Otherwise this is a little misleading
  • Don't forget this isn't Windows Phone Central, it's Lumia Central so they don't need to change the title ;-) :-/
  • I keep making comments about this and the writers and staff at LPC keep ignoring them. It's really getting irritating that what used to be the best site for Windows phone news is now the site to go to for Lumia news. I get that 95% (or something) of the Windows Phone market is Lumia devices, but that doesn't mean that something that is Lumia exclusive is also "Windows Phone" news. At the risk of pissing Daniel off and getting myself banned, the writers here need to start paying more attention to their misleading headlines.
  • Not only the title, if I read correctly there is no mention but the "Lumia storage" app name in the article that this doesn't work for non Lumia devices. Not that big of a deal, but I should know if this works with the HTC devices of my family.
  • Hmm, the title is missing something. Ah, that's it "...on your Lumia" should be on the end of it!!!!
  • U call tat moving?
  • Yeeah! Just did it. Thanks a lot, didn't know I could do that
  • Will windows phone Lumia 730 will have a pureview camera and otg pen drive support???
  • I would like To have a notification when maps are updated. Updated mine This morning.
  • Could only move from apps & games. No longer show maps there, bit still see them on phone on Storage Sense.
  • Great tips..
  • Great information, I would do it right now if I didn't have a MicroSDless Lumia 1020!
  • That article came in such a good timing. I was looking for that feature this week. Thank you.
  • You can move the mapsdata folder from SD card to another SD card. This way multiple phones can have same downloaded maps. I have done this many times. Even to PC for backup.
  • Would you be able to use the maps for one model in another one - lets say the mapsdata folder of L820 in L1520? I remember this was not working some time three monts back.
  • Just tried this on my Lumia 820 with WP 8 (Black). Works as well!
  • Well this app dosn't work with Samsung Ative S and all the lumias are either without micro SD or without HD screen. Microsoft should have tyis functionality in WP itself.
  • Good info , but unfortunately I have the expansive Lumia 930 , the flagship one
  • Please change the article title. Only Lumia phones can have this, not all Windows Phone.
  • Having some trouble now saving edited pictures. The 1520 is telling me to delete something to make room however, I have 7gb on the phone and 13" on the SD card...hm.
  • Hey Sam, your article title is very misleading. This is not how to move maps on Windows Phone. This is how to do it when you use a Lumia. Thanks for getting my hopes up for nothing. Another example of Windows Phone Central being Lumia Phone Central and forgetting there are those of us out there without a Lumia device.
  • What? This method is extremely old. Oldest. I think I need to attend WPC forums.
  • I am printing these instructions, once I get my Nokia 521 upgraded to Windows 8.1 (pending T-MO) approval, I would definitely move my offline maps to the SD. Thanks guys.
  • yeah, this doesn't work any more after update 1 at least on DP OS...before Update 1 I could save the maps on SD card but now that option is missing and I don't see the way to move/save it on SD card...
  • After following these steps (from Apps and Games - I didn't see the move option when I tapped on Maps), I am still seeing maps - 439 bytes on the main storage screen for Phone, but not on the apps and games screen. The SD card shiws 0 bytes for maps. However, for whatever reason, my Here Brive +, which was crashing everytime I launched (Lumia 635 T-Mobile running GDR 1) is now working, This being the case, I am leaving well enough alone - I have sufficient space in my phone to be able to handle the maps.
  • Nice job Sam Sabri these is gr8 esp for lumia 530 users......:-)
  • Don´t know, but I am guessing the Lumia 925 - does not have an SD - or does it ? Otherwise sounds good. Brian
  • Great tips
  • Hi, Please let me know how can i move or delete maps from phone memory, and i want to store my offline map in my sd card.  Am using Lumia 730, i dont find the above settings in my phone.  Can you please explain more specific for Lumia 730
  • Now, the app shows not available, it's unpublished from the store.. Now what to do... Plz help!!!
  • I downloaded the .xap file, copied it to an SD card, inserted the SD card into my Lumia 520, tried to install it locally. "Nokia storage check beta" is on the list under the title of "Not supported applications and games". It is grayed out and I cannot install it. The phone is running Windows Phone 8.1 and the system is up to date. I would badly need the possibility of storing the maps on an SD card. 
  • Same here, I need to have all Europe offline on my Microsoft Lumia 640 LTE but have no chance for that on the phone memory and want it on the SD card where there is plenty of space ofcourse. But same problem the lumia-storage-check-beta.xap is downladable on the pc uploaded to dropbox but when i downlad it to the phone i wont install says: "Can't install this company app" bla bla bla and close. Reallly need the opportunity to myself decide where the mapdata will store....  
  • Has anyone tried this on a Microsoft Lumia? I failed to install the Lumia Storage Check App. It says "Not supported" when i try to install it with the Store App on my Lumia 535. Is this app really blocked or am I doing someting wrong?
  • Lumia storage check beta cannot be installed in Lumia 640, although it can be manually downloaded. Storage sense cannot move map data. Please help!
  • :( This will not install on the 640 with 8.1 Update 2.  I haven't seen any back up plans for this.  Anybody?
  • Unfortunately Lumia storage check has been withdrawn from the store and even if you had it on older devices it does not work on newer ones, consequently the above fix does not work any more. Does anyone have another way to store maps on the sd card instead that on the phone? thanks
  • This storage check don't allow nowadays, what now?
  • I don't think that HERE map lets you save maps on the SD card anymore. I have the Phone settings such that all new apps and data is supposed to saved on the SD card, but whenever I try to download a map that exceeds the remaining phone storage, it comes back with an error message and the download does not proceed. I have over many gigbytes of storage available on the SD card, which is way more than the map I'm trying to download, but it seems like it is being ignored.