AAA - Lack of Service - Warning

[GaryS]

Normally, I'd say "Where do you go that doesn't have cell service."

Now the answer is Hamilton County, Texas. As a friend of mine and I found out on a road trip last year. We were using Waze to navigate and lost phone service. He had Toyota's navigation system, but that requires an app and cell service as well.

I have an older Garmin GPS in my truck in case all else fails. As long as it can see the GPS satellites I can navigate.

Yes, but you need to download the maps of where you are going ahead of time when you do have service - either cell or wifi. The thing about Google Maps is that the phone only downloads segments of map as you get near them. Without cell service you lose the ability to see where you are on a map even though the GPS antenna is still connected to satellites unless you have downloaded the map ahead of time.

I used to use an app called MapFactor Navigator which allows you to download an entire state's map or several states if you are crossing borders on your trip. That way you don't have to worry about cell service or no service for maps to work. Google maps offers the ability to download your route ahead of time. Most people don't do so, though. I imagine Waze and other popular mapping apps do as well.

The last few years my vehicle has onboard maps. The map data may be a couple of years old, but most of the roads are still the same.