Which is the most useful Maps app?

[Deleted User]

I was trying to search for a bike repair shop while in my car with the Android Google Maps (latest version), and tapped into the results list to see which address was most convenient and was frustrated to find not only does it only show 4 results per view (before scrolling) but it doesn't show addresses on the results either! It actually was easier on my laptop.

I compared it to iOS 6 and 8 Maps, and found 8 to be more informative, and 6 to be easier to read!

I'm really blown away at the way user interfaces have gone downhill, and I'm afraid they won't really get better.

If someone knows a better maps app than Google Maps, please let me know.

Please see attached screenshot comparing interfaces and let me know which one looks more convenient/useful.

 

[mikedt]

That's what I use, it's called AutoNavi. It's pretty much the same on Android or iOS. Google maps is a bit poor around here, and I think iOS maps uses the same database as AutoNavi, SinoMaps.

Four results, scroll for more, addresses shown. There's actually a lot more bicycle places than that, many are not listed in directories.

 

[PattiCakeUS]

I don't search for places within Google maps, I search for what I'm looking for from my phone's browser & then click the Navigate icon from there to launch Google maps. It hasn't failed me yet.

 

[mikedt]

Where I am if it's local services I need, such as bicycle services, I never have to go too far, and many are not listed on the internet or maps apps anyway.

 

[electricpete]

"Best" and "most useful" are of course subjective since people's preferences vary in both the features they need and the aesthetic qualities they value.

For my purposes (mostly off-line basic navigation with on-line search capability) I like Navfree/Navmii USA version 2.3.66 as a simple off-line program, in which you can go on-line for just long enough to do google search within the program to retrieve results by distance like attached screenshot, then select the destination, view streetview, details, phone number etc as you desire (within the program still), then go offline for navigation.

The search feature is great.
The navigation is simple (not full featured), which I kind of like. Big bold representations of roads that make it hard to miss a turn. Not a lot of extraneous details on the map.

A newer version 3.1.0 came out in the playstore. It seemed to have broken the google search feature. So I went back to version 2.3.66 which I had saved using an app backup program. There have been a few more updates since then, don't know if they've got the search back working.

I recall Mapquest's android app will show a map with all the results for a given search plotted on the map.But I found that it gobbled a lot of data for a quick search, so I uninstalled it.

 

[Hadron]

Google Maps is fine, but I've often found Open Street Maps data to be more accurate (I've a number of times found Google to get the locations of premises wrong, sometimes just by a few 10s of meters, sometimes by a lot more). Maps.ME manages both a lot of detail and an attractive enough presentation, but I do find the search a bit baulky at times. OSMand I've not used for a while, but is another open street map app that's worth testing.

Nokia's Here mapping app is the only one that's actually suggested some of the local short-cuts that I actually use, rather than much longer routes via more major roads. Also works offline, and search doesn't seem bad. Is a bit more aggressive about keeping GPS on than some of the others (just switching focus to another app doesn't stop it).

All of those I've named here, apart from Google Maps, work perfectly well offline (Maps is less good for that than it used to be a couple of years ago, and was never perfect).

 

[Deleted User]

I don't search for places within Google maps, I search for what I'm looking for from my phone's browser & then click the Navigate icon from there to launch Google maps. It hasn't failed me yet.

I tried it in the Google Chrome maps.google.com and it showed the same thing the app did: http://imgur.com/ahefruZ

 

[PattiCakeUS]

I tried it in the Google Chrome maps.google.com and it showed the same thing the app did: http://imgur.com/ahefruZ

We must be running different versions or something then. When I search "bike repair" in Chrome on my phone, I get this:

when I click on a business name, it opens up this screen:

and searching from within Google Maps, I get this (interestingly enough, a different list of businesses... which is probably why I stopped searching from within Google Maps):

Clicking on a business name opens up the same type of screen as the entry above, where I can click "Directions" & it goes to the normal directions/mapping.

**Edit: But wait, I just noticed the address in your browser says google.com? I went into Chrome & searched for "bike repair" - how exactly are you searching from your browser?

 

[Lordvincent 90]

I've been using Google maps forever, but i just recently switched to Waze. I've been finding google maps to be to resource heavy after their last few updates. Waze is a little more simplistic in design, but has some interesting features. It allows users to log hazards they encounter in real time. Everything from traffic conditions to locations of police (speed traps). I'm not entirely sure it will completely replace Google maps, but I'm going to try it for a while.

 

[Deleted User]

We must be running different versions or something then. When I search "bike repair" in Chrome on my phone, I get this:

You're searching with Chrome, I said I was searching in Chrome with maps.google.com. Regardless, the results don't show addresses.

when I click on a business name, it opens up this screen:

The result detail view is not the issue; it's the results list. I didn't previously have to tap into each result (loading the full result details) to see addresses. It's now more time-consuming and effort.

and searching from within Google Maps, I get this (interestingly enough, a different list of businesses... which is probably why I stopped searching from within Google Maps):

Clicking on a business name opens up the same type of screen as the entry above, where I can click "Directions" & it goes to the normal directions/mapping.

**Edit: But wait, I just noticed the address in your browser says google.com? I went into Chrome & searched for "bike repair" - how exactly are you searching from your browser?

Understand the difference between searching in the Maps app, in the Chrome app using its search bar, and in Chrome on maps.google.com in its search bar. No matter what, addresses don't show on the results list, so I'll have to try the other apps suggested by the other users.

 

[PattiCakeUS]

Interesting. I've been very happy with this method but yeah, if it's not what you want, there are other options. Hope you find something you like.