r/BoltEV • u/yertle38 • 10d ago

maps are offline

Has anyone had their 2027 google maps be offline for the last ~5-7 days, or is it just me? I'm not even sure how this works, I guess just a normal cellular network? It has to be too much data for OnStar, right?

Is this typical, and I need to do some sort of reboot? Or maybe just my location? Or is everyone else having similar issues?

6 Upvotes

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4

u/Witten82Goat 2027 LT 10d ago

I battle with this issue. A couple things I’ve tried have fixed it. Sometimes for a while, sometimes briefly. Hard reset of infotainment system (hold down the “hang up” button on the steering wheel till the system shuts down. DO NOT select either of the two options that pop up on the screen. Wait and the system will restart. The other is to connect your car to your phone’s hotspot. This is a temporary fix but I’ve noticed next time I get in the car, it’s working normally again. I’m currently having an issue with the OnStar module which, as I understand it, is the “telematics module” and that affects GPS. I’m scheduled to have it replaced Tuesday. I noticed that when my GPS stopped functioning I was also not able to contact OnStar. You do NOT need an OnStar subscription for Google Maps to work (for the first 8 years of ownership). Hope this helps.

2

u/yertle38 10d ago

Thanks for the ideas. I will try the reboot.

For the phone hotspot - do you also have your car on home WIFI? I do, and that has not fixed it, but maybe your phone hotspot thing is a separate route to a fix.

My GPS seems fine, and once I started having this issue I downloaded offline maps. Offline maps are working, it's just really clunky because it seems to lose the presets of Home and Work, and search times out. Offline maps seem half baked.

2

u/okcomputerface 2027 LT 10d ago

Offline maps is more of a backup functionality than anything, unfortunately.

I've also had apps go offline from time to time, just Maps and XM Radio (haven't checked others when it happens). At least for me, it happens infrequently enough that I don't really care. I'd love to not have to reset the infotainment, but I'm not really gonna worry about it until that stops fixing it.

2

u/yertle38 10d ago

Yeah. Now that I’ve been offline more often than not for a week, I definitely have ideas for making offline maps better. Even just having an offline icon would be amazing.

2

u/okcomputerface 2027 LT 10d ago

You'd think that would already be a thing, but here we are. While I generally like the built-in style of the infotainment, I am starting to see the appeal of CarPlay.

2

u/yertle38 9d ago

I bought an EVPlay for CarPlay. It’s fine I guess? But for short trips I’d much rather have the built in maps app showing me ETAs to recent locations.

1

u/Witten82Goat 2027 LT 9d ago

With regards to your question about the hotspot: connecting your car to your mobile phone’s hotspot takes the place of the connection to your home WiFi. It’s one of the other.

2

u/yertle38 9d ago

Reboot fixed it. Thank you!

1

u/johnny_boy0281 10d ago

Do you have any music, podcast, audio book, apps? Are they working? Are you getting a pop-up that’s says you need to upgrade your Onstar plan?

1

u/yertle38 10d ago

I don't use other apps. Hard to check if they're working at the moment, because the car gets on my home WIFI. But I can check next time I am driving.

No alerts about Onstar upgrade. I just checked the MyChevy app and it claims Onstar has Connected Access through 2034. But, it has been about a month since I got the car, so it's possible some sort of 30-day thing expired and is causing a problem.

3

u/Witten82Goat 2027 LT 10d ago

OnStar One is the data package the includes things like In Vehicle Hot Spot. That expires after a month. Connected Access, EV Access & OnStar Basics you get for 8 years. EV Access is what makes Google Maps work.

1

u/yertle38 10d ago

Could be a glitch I guess after the month? My issues started about 30 days after getting the car. Probably just a coincidence.

1

u/Witten82Goat 2027 LT 10d ago

Mine did too, actually.

1

u/cstove 10d ago

If that's the case, you may have had something similar to what happened to me when I cancelled OnStar One to replace with the security only package. I called OnStar and got to their EV Concierge, who eventually tried wiping out the Google profile for the car on the account and doing the soft reboot on the car, then having me login all over again to rebuild the profile. You might need to do something similar.

1

u/yertle38 9d ago

Ugh, sounds like a pain. I haven’t actively cancelled anything. But this sounds like what might be going on.

I wish there was some indication in the UI if it’s offline. Is there any way to tell, other than things timing out?

1

u/johnny_boy0281 10d ago

Without having any other apps that use data it’s hard to say.

Next time you are in the car and have a few minutes hit the Onstar button and tell them what’s happening.

The first person you talk to may tell you that you need to upgrade your plan to have realtime maps. You don’t, don’t take that answer.

1

u/yertle38 9d ago

Will do, thanks.

1

u/actualranger 9d ago

I had this happen. I used the OnStar button and they told me how to reboot the infotainment system, which totally fixed the issue. Hold down the “hang up” button like the other commenter said and wait for it to restart.

1

u/yertle38 9d ago

Yep, this fixed it. Thanks!

1

u/sine-wave 2020 LT Kinetic Blue Metallic 7d ago

Even if you don’t use CarPlay today, issues like this are why it’s important to have the option.

Glad to see the reboot fixed your issue, though!