[vignesh.cv]

I used to be a user of Google Maps in the past, but have run into quite a few situations where I was directed to take narrow lanes with two wheelers parked on either side and enough space for one car to squeeze through. I'm giving Apple Maps a try in recent times and find it quite decent. It chooses the route based on time of day, traffic conditions and the ETA is more or less spot on.

Few things are lacking like ability to add multiple stops in the journey and that most places are marked in Google Maps vs. you have to add them manually yourself. If you are using public transport, the Google Maps integration is fabulous, you get to know the bus numbers and the schedule which is a boon.

[beast_within]

Originally Posted by neeravnaik

The offline mode of Google maps does not seem to work for me now. Once you are in area with no signal it stops updating the location. THis did not happen before. Wonder if this has happened to anyone else.

The tendency to take you down narrow roads is well known and combined this with offline maps not working I may just try Apple Maps now

Although I have downloaded the Offline Maps on iPhone for respective areas, it has never ever worked for me, since the days of iPhone 6. Once the mobile coverage is absent it stops updating the location and navigation stops.

[gungax]

I was a Google Maps user until recently.

Google Maps has been getting me stuck in impossibly small roads in almost all cities. Many times I have been stuck alone or with my child with very angry people around my car. Reading replies in this thread, it is evident that Google Maps does have a problem. This is unacceptable, my family's safety is paramount.

Slowly I have been switching to Apple Maps. The data is decent but not perfect. The Apple Maps database has been improving over the past few years and can now be used as the primary Navigation App. Some places are more detailed than Google due to source being Map My India.
Integration with other Apple devices and systems is excellent (e.g - Large turn symbol with haptic feedback on the Apple watch).

[INJAXN]

I have mostly used Google Maps. It has sent me to a few narrow streets and to almost a no street once, that too in the mid night, but I turned back after some 200-300 mts. Barring few instances it has mostly worked good and helped me in all my highway drives.

Never tried Apple maps, earlier horror stories kept me away from it. But I guess, now it must have improved, so I will also try it sometime.

Had used Here maps on my Nokia windows phone and I found that to be at par with GMaps.

[driver52001]

Google Maps for me. Have never failed me in all my long drives. Yes, have sent me down some weird narrow lanes from time to time but i have learnt to minimise this risk with some common sense. For example, if in a city you're stuck in traffic and GMaps suggest a 'faster' alternative route, most probably it's going to be a narrow street. Because by GMaps logic everyone should have headed that way instead to some degree. So better to sit out the traffic and not obey Google in such cases. Use GMaps, but with some calculated risk. Forgot to add: always prefer toll roads on long highway trips even if Google suggests a 'faster' route without tolls. That so-called faster route would probably be interior village roads.

[shyampsunder]

I have been a Google maps user and contributor for the last 15 years. Some tips that have worked great for me:

1. Use Google Maps as a source of data and not as a decision-maker. What do I mean by that? Suppose you want to travel between 2 cities and Google provides you multiple routes with Google Maps suggesting the one with the lowest ETA. It might not always be the best route because a shorter route with more potholes and narrow roads may be faster by a few minutes. I always figure out the average speed on the routes and pick the one with the fastest average speed even if it means a slightly longer distance. This will also mostly avoid most of your narrow road issues.

2. While traveling within the city, Google Maps uses street width from govt provided data. This obviously can be misleading because some of our inner roads have heavy encroachments and bad parking discipline. So if Google suggests a turn into a pretty narrow lane and you are not familiar with the area, avoid taking it because encroachments worsen as you go deeper into a street. Also, take cues from other cars on the road.

As for privacy, my daily job involves working in these areas. Meta and Google are not devils and Apple is not an angel when it comes to data privacy. If you think business models dictate privacy then be aware that Apple is ramping up its iAds division and by introducing changes in-app tracking, they are soon going to be the only provider in the town who can provide targeted advertising on iPhone users.

My personal view is that I benefit a great deal from these services and I am happy to share my data if it helps me get some personalized information and helps others as well

[SilentEngine]

Primarily use Google Maps with Apple CarPlay, and for most part, it works and does the job.

Real-time suggestions of alternate routes based on traffic congestion really helps when it works! Couple of weeks back entering Bangalore via Tumkur Road we easily saved 45+minutes when there was huge pile up in Nelamangala-Bangalore road, and Google maps rightly suggested to take service road instead. Obviously some luck also plays a role here because these suggestions are only possible because cars stuck ahead are sending the data, so some other days it could be you who is stuck and helping others. Overall it's still a net positive.

However I have also seen that the directions, sometimes don’t make any sense. Sample this, where it’s asking to go back and join the waiting queue



Few things I wish would improve in Google maps:
1. Most of the places are pronounced wrongly and most of the time I just mute the Google lady to avoid listening to that.
2. Most of the names of places in local language is horribly wrong.

[edunata]

I am loyal user of GMaps. Yes, many times it took me to some narrow and unpaved roads, but same way, it has guided me for thousands of kilometers, in India and abroad.

So, from my experiences, what I have understood, we need to have some 'Human Learning' of the Google map. Basically we have do some research before trusting Gmaps blindly.
Please devote some time to study the map before your journey to an unknown place. Whenever there is some doubt while driving, stop and take time to ask locals about the route and condition of the road. Sometimes, this method is also risky, because some people think 'if a two wheeler can go, four wheeler can also go.

In case of any doubt, just change the default version of the map to the satellite version. There you can see if the black tar road changes colour to yellow, please try to avoid the road.
GMaps sometime also falters in hills. I have faced it many times. In that case, I just follow the main wide road. Whenever you see Google aunty is trying to take you to some narrow lane, leaving the main wide road, just stop and ask. If there is no one to ask, reduce the scale of the map and see, where the road is leading to.

When going to some unknown place, where internet connectivity is doubtful, it is better to download the offline map of the designated area. Believe me, it helps a lot. After your journey is over, you can delete the offline map, to free your phone memory.

So, the only solution is 'Human Learning'.

[Krishna sankar]

I use google maps very often. In few instances, it directs into crowded and narrow streets. My understanding of the issue is we need to use the correct transportation mode like car, bike, walk etc. Also other users also need to use this correctly. In case if bike users use the drive mode, then the maps assume that road is free and also directs the other drive users accordingly.
This experiment with google maps gives an insight of how it works: https://www.theguardian.com/technolo...ffic-jam-alert.

Apple uses map my India and they are updating it also. But google update of places and roads are very good.

So for me google maps with my own logic in crowded roads.

[kdp]

This thread popped up for me on my Google news feed just as I returned from a trip where Google maps tried insist that a route through some narrow colony roads where the best bet to my destination.

I've found Google maps is becoming increasingly adventurous at times one absolutely needs it not to be. A Chennai to Bangalore trip through a narrow, "absolutely dark but for our headlights" road which looked straight out of Veerapan country, an Udaipur-Jodhpur trip via some ultra narrow roads through some villages, Ive found apple maps much more sane on the routing principle. The problem with apple maps is the lack of POIs and many that are there are not at the right place. But traffic is fairly spot on in NCR at least.

Like some other posters here, I have started using the car maps on my bmw (the 2022 maps are fairly up-to-date ) and use gmaps to validate for traffic.

[eyesice]

Around 3 months back, we were traveling from Trivandrum to Chennai. Now, we have always relied on Google maps for navigation. When we crossed Madurai, suddenly the ETA jumped by 3 hours and Google was forcing us to take a different route via Tuticorin (which was very weird as NH-45 is the best route).

As soon as we noticed this glitch (not sure if it was intentional by Google), we switched to Apple Maps for the rest of the journey and reached home on time.

So don't blindly trust Google Navigation all the time. Sometimes, it can take you through weird detours probably to quench Google's thirst for our data.

[Dry Ice]

I have had many mishaps with Google Maps over the years. It does many things right but definitely not all of them.

I get very skeptical if it suddenly wants me to get off a major road and take a minor road. Because of it’s shenanigans in the past, I now usually try to study the route beforehand so that I am aware of the major junctions etc, and whether I will need to navigate through any congested areas.

I have used Waze and Apple Maps too, but somehow always come back to Google Maps.

I will try out Apple Maps more now seeing the favourable comments from fellow members.

[parambyte]

I have been using maps while driving for god knows how many years, starting with a Nokia E61 and SendoX with Google Maps on Java apps.
Over the years as iOS and later Android came about with their native apps, maps too became more detailed.

I only use iOS so here’s my experience.

- Google maps have a lot of detail but routing SUCKS. They have sent me headed 90 degrees into train tracks, narrow underpasses where I was scared I would scrape both my car sides, sending me through shitty congested lanes to save 2 minutes when there is an alternative road available, often rerouting without notice etc. plus having your phone constantly engaged.

- Apple maps may have less detail than Google but their ETA is more accurate and I kind of like their interface too.

However after having been stuck in remote locations after dark, with no network and not being able to figure out a way out, I realised I MUST have offline maps.

So I got NaviMaps from MapMyIndia. With lifetime of free updates after I bought it, works very well, especially for long distance rides. Allows me to save locations too. Works with zero cell network traffic. The only problem is the stupid app is STILL not CarPlay enabled.

At that time I was also using Nokia Here WeGo free offline maps. Once we got stuck in Ratlam, MP, with no network. How to search for a hotel? Found it on Nokia Maps, navigated to discover it was a very decent hotel for staying over. Unfortunately the Nokia Here WeGo map app is no longer available on the India App Store.

My Ford built in maps app has the BEST map UX I have ever seen. Had fallen in love with it when I was driving a Ford Explorer upon a trip to the US. Amazing. Unfortunately their map data is old and it seems there is little way to upgrade it.

So for short distances in the City I quickly whip up my google maps since I know which roads to avoid even if Google pushes me through them. For longer drives I prefer my ford map as it frees my phone.

[GhostRider28]

I have started to explore Apple Maps for city commutes due to the adventurous routes now being suggested by Google. The Apple maps UI is clean, consumes less battery and works even better if you have an Apple watch.

For long distance commutes, I have started to prefer NaviMaps over GMaps, although I check the traffic through GMaps every 50 kms or so. But I have seen Google maps showing red in a highway out of nowhere, probably because trucks were parked along the highway.

[condor]

I use google maps, and have removed apple maps from the views. Reason: when having to share locations it is easier to share location in the same app that others are using.