[ampere]

The concept for me is to use Google as a second source/second opinion. Never use it as a primary brain for navigation. For this reason alone I still carry my Jurassic Garmin navigator for all my drives and also use it to log my trips.

And then when my originally charted plan seems to go off track, I look at Google if its available and try to course-correct. Within city its always Google. It can never go wrong!

[adisan]

Google Maps will show traffic signals, estimated toll fees (Source: AndroidPolice.com)

As always, Google continues to offer methods to avoid tolls by changing your route options, but for those that don't mind paying to get somewhere a little faster, you'll be able to preview your total cost before you hit the road.

Google Maps is also adding extra information to its maps while navigating, bringing it up to par with the competition. Traffic lights and stop signs are the main inclusion here.

Building outlines and areas of interest are coming as well, along with specific road information like widths, shapes, medians, and islands in select cities.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by adisan

Google Maps will show traffic signals, estimated toll fees

The much less used Waze and MapmyIndia already have traffic signal mapping no? I believe both have traffic camera mapping as well.

Not sure about estimated toll. I've always gone with an outline calculation and recharged.

The biggest usage has been and will be spotting traffic congestions. Have used on a daily basis and taken detours accordingly

[tilt]

Google Maps (at least opn iOS) has been displayinjg some odd behaviour of late.

It suddenly says "Better route available" and shows a longer route (both in terms of time and distance), and proposes I follow that.

Has anyone else seen this happening?

Also, in overview mode, when it displays multiple route options, the Blue (default) one is many times the longer one, again both in terms of time and distance.

Plus, recently I was transiting Mysore, google routed me to a one-way street going the wrong way and insisted that I take that road. Even when I took another road (hoping it would "recalculate"), it insisted on taking me back to that specific one-way.

Until very recently I swore by Google maps, claiming it has never ever let me down, but now I have lost my trust in Google Maps.

I think I shall stick to Apple Maps (even though they are not as good as Google) or *shudder* - MapMyIndia's new avatar - Mappls.

Cheers

[raksrules]

In recent times, I have read that apple maps have become quite good in India, does anyone (with iOS device) have any personal experience and if you prefer apple maps than google maps in India?

[tilt]

Originally Posted by raksrules

In recent times, I have read that apple maps have become quite good in India, does anyone (with iOS device) have any personal experience and if you prefer apple maps than google maps in India?

I use Apple Maps as an alternative as I mentioned on the post above yours. I find that it is good enough now with a few caveats:

1. It does not display as many alternative routes as Google does;
2. There's no facility to download offline maps like Google has - meaning, Apple Maps is useless when there's no cell reception. Apparently it does cache the entire route when first opened, but I have not tested that properly, so I cannot say for sure if it works or not.
3. Searching is based mostly (mostly, not all the time) on having a proper address rather than landmarks or POIs. Google's POI database is much much more extensive and helps searching more easily.

Cheers

[harry10]

Originally Posted by tilt

Google Maps (at least opn iOS) has been displayinjg some odd behaviour of late.

It suddenly says "Better route available" and shows a longer route (both in terms of time and distance), and proposes I follow that..

Cheers

This has been happening on Android since sometime. Whenever better route available comes just Deny it. Always accept the 'Faster route available' instead. Better route is always the longer route. I have been doing this since few months.

[tilt]

I have an issue with google Maps on iOS which does not seem to be present for Android users.

Long ago, my phone was set to speak in the female Australian voice; and any alerts/announcements/navigation voice etc. was in said female Australian voice.

A while ago, for some reason the navigation voice in Google Maps switched automatically to the female Indian voice.

My phone settings (not Google maps settings, but the phone settings) is still female Australian and it works for any alerts except for Google Maps - which is still in the female Indian voice.

There seems to be no settings pane available in Google Maps itself to change the voice, and I have no idea how it changed in the first place.

Now, when I travel by Uber cabs or autos or in someone else's car - basically anyone who is on Android, I notice that their navigation voice is female American or anything other than female Indian.

I have two requests:

1. Android folks - could you please see if Google has an option to change the navigation voice - or if Google follows the default Android setting for voice?

2. iOS folks - what voice does your Google Maps use? Was it different earlier and did it suddenly change to something else? Also, if your Google Maps speaks in any non-Indian voice, could you please let me know which and how you got it to speak thusly?

BTW, this happened both on my iPhone and my wife's, so it is not necessarily a phone issue.

Also, both phones are set to India as the region and have always been so since they were purchased. So, it is quite possible I suppose, for Google Maps to ignore the phone setting and rely purely on the phone's region-setting; but then, is this something they changed in the recent past (meaning within the last couple of years)?

Thank you and cheers

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by tilt

1. Android folks - could you please see if Google has an option to change the navigation voice - or if Google follows the default Android setting for voice?

In Android, yes, there is a separate setting for voice in Google Maps Navigation that is independent of default voice setting. However, there is no choice of male or female voice as you are looking for. In Android, under Google Maps Navigation setting, under "Voice Selection" options, there is a list of voices based on language. For example, the list includes English (US), English (UK), English (India) and then all other languages too. Basically it is just a list of languages. And whichever language I clicked, it had a female voice. I use English (India) and I am quite happy with that voice. Never felt a need to use any other voice.

[trippytragopan]

Google adds new navigation commands to the Google assistant.

Use voice commands while navigating – even when your device has no connection. Try saying "cancel my navigation" "what's my ETA?" or "what's my next turn?"

[trippytragopan]

Google sued for negligence after man drove off collapsed bridge while following map directions

Paxson was driving home from his daughter’s ninth birthday party through an unfamiliar neighborhood when Google Maps allegedly directed him to cross a bridge that had collapsed nine years prior and was never repaired.

https://apnews.com/article/google-ma...bbcb37bd0eb6c8

[haisaikat]

I doubt how much liability will Google have when their map service is free. For any free service isn't the risk of using the service lies on consumer side?

[airwarrior]

Originally Posted by Dr.AD

Correct. If you have already downloaded a map containing the location you are at, then Google maps will automatically switch to that if you switch off your mobile network. You will continue to get navigational directions using the local offline map you had downloaded.

However, please remember that this will be just the "basic offline navigation". You will not get any live traffic information, any alerts of traffic jams or road blocks ahead, and it will not find alternative routes dynamically.

Last year I wad travelling in the mountains east of California in the US. You do have areas of poor network even in the US. We had downloaded Google maps of the area beforehand. Navigation automatically switched to the downloaded map and they were bang on accurate. I have tried the same back home in India but at times Google Aunty does falter and takes you to a dead end. Apart from the minor inconvenience I don't think one could ever get lost in India.

[SedateGuy]

Originally Posted by airwarrior

Last year I wad travelling in the mountains east of California in the US. You do have areas of poor network even in the US. We had downloaded Google maps of the area beforehand. Navigation automatically switched to the downloaded map and they were bang on accurate. I have tried the same back home in India but at times Google Aunty does falter and takes you to a dead end. Apart from the minor inconvenience I don't think one could ever get lost in India.

Nowadays, Google maps often tends to take you down roads where only a 2 wheeler could go. They seriously have to do something about it.

[binand]

Google Maps gets sued:

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/09/21/u...ina/index.html

Google Maps misdirected motorists... onto this collapsed road for years, despite receiving complaints from the public demanding that Google fix its map and directions to mark the road as CLOSED

That Google ignores map edits most of the time should be well-known (unless there is bad PR for the company). I hope they do get fined a decent amount that makes the big bosses sit up and take notice.