Google Maps has been the go-to navigation tool for decades.
Since its launch in 2005, the platform has ushered millions of users to their desired destination with mileage markers, traffic indicators, and various transportation options.
However, over the years, Google Maps has gotten a bit cluttered, particularly with its integration of Magic Cue, which has the app suggesting non-existent locations pulled from your various messaging apps.
Fortunately, Google Maps isn’t the only navigation app on the market, which is why I’ve been experimenting with some alternatives to find a way to my destination that isn’t powered by Google.
I’ve found one Android app that might just replace it for the foreseeable future, at least when I’m trying to go for a relaxing drive around the neighborhood.
MAPS.ME for the win
The low-stress navigation I didn’t know I needed
The app is MAPS.ME and, to be clear, it’s definitely a different kind of navigation app than you’re used to.
If you’re looking for a Google Maps alternative that is basically just the same interface with a different design, you’re not in the right place.
For starters, it’s an offline maps app, which means it can be accessed anywhere, including places that do not have internet through Wi-Fi or mobile data.
This is a big perk on its own, even for a city dweller like myself. I’ve been trapped by the poor reception on Lower Wacker in Chicago more than once.
However, it also means that I’m not inundated with ads, review requests, and pictures that other people have taken of the donut shop I’m trying to find. So really, the offline functionality is a win-win.
A traveler’s dream
It’s giving backpacking around Europe
While I’ve been using it to take the internet-driven stress out of my city driving, it’s clear that MAPS.ME is geared towards travelers rather than everyday commuters.
For one, it has a ruler feature that allows you to trace a path on the map, and it will give you the exact mileage. That’s got traveling hiker written all over it.
Additionally, MAPS.ME is more transparent and comprehensive when it comes to showing you specific establishments on the map.
There are a number of tabs at the bottom of the map interface, like hotels, restaurants, groceries, and the “sights,” and when you click one, MAPS.ME shows you every listing on the map. And I mean every single one.
MAPS.ME does highlight some of the more popular options while still showing you a complete picture of the hotels, restaurants, and grocery stores within your search, whereas Google Maps gives you a jumping-off point and requires some zooming and re-searching to really get every single option.
The biggest indicator that MAPS.ME is for travelers, though, is that there is a MAPS.ME PRO plan that costs $3.49 per month, which provides access to a robust hiking route system to help you find your next trip.
There is also a product hub as one of the five primary tabs at the bottom of the interface that only offers two links: an eSim Travel Internet app on the Play Store and the Booking.com website. Pretty clear who they’re after on this one.
There are some serious shortcomings
It’s not for everyone or every situation
Now, if I’m being honest with myself, MAPS.ME is completely unusable in certain situations, particularly if you’re living in the city.
While the offline functionality provides a relatively stress-free experience, it creates some notable shortcomings that could be a dealbreaker depending on when and where you’re navigating.
One example is the lack of live traffic information. If you’re in a hurry to get to where you’re going, MAPS.ME will likely stress you out even more. It has no idea how long it will actually take to reach your destination.
While driving my wife to a doctor’s appointment, for example, it confidently said that we would be there in eight minutes. From door to door, the drive took 25 minutes. So, there’s that.
It also seems that the lack of online connectivity on MAPS.ME means that the location search function is far from optimized.
Trying to search for my daughter’s school by name brought up a massive list of non-schools, despite using the word school in the search bar.
I also tested something basic, like searching for one of the largest parks in the city, and couldn’t even get it to come up in the search results.
Still, you can easily set favorites, and it seems to get addresses right on the first try, so again, if it’s a bare-bones Google Maps replacement you’re looking for, there are workarounds for these pitfalls.
Changing the way you drive
Try different ways to get to where you’re going
Google Maps is great for a lot of things. The live traffic updates are hard to compete with, and there are so many non-navigation-related things you can do with Google Maps that it will genuinely make your head spin.
That’s part of what drove me to experiment with MAPS.ME. I don’t always need to know how long it’s going to take to get where I’m going, and I don’t always need to know how many stars it has. Sometimes, I’m just trying to get where I’m going.
