You’ve probably noticed this several times: when you enter an address in Google Maps, the application does not select the shortest route to our destination, but instead it tells us that we must travel using another route which, at first glance, seems longer.
Google Maps hasn’t gone crazy, has good reasons to suggest this path. The platform uses different factors and analyzes to determine which route is best for us to reach our destination faster, even if we have to travel a greater distance compared to other routes that display the results in the app.
Why Google Maps sometimes doesn’t choose the shortest route for our car trips
Google Maps is not a simple mapping and navigation application. It is a platform that keeps track of our trips and the destinations we have visited, in addition to the routes and means of transport we have used. Additionally, Google Maps analyzes traffic and when more cars are on the road on main streets and highways.
The application uses all this information when calculate the routes we can take to reach our destination. This is true even if for us users what we see on the screen is that Maps appears to select a longer route that might take us longer to reach our destination.
But in most cases, this is not the case. When Maps selects a route for us to travel from point A to point B, it takes into account aspects such as traffic on the streets, speed limits and even, in some cases, their algorithms can determine which route is the most fuel efficient, according to information published by Autoevolution.
However, Google Maps sometimes chooses a longer route during periods of low traffic, such as at night or even early in the morning. In these cases, the fault could be our own customs and preferences when exploring the city. That is, if Google Maps recorded that you generally prefer to use a specific shortcut or street when passing through certain parts of the city, this could be considered an indication that you prefer to use this streetregardless of the time or traffic.
Google Maps seeks to help us reach our destination as quickly as possible, and in some cases this involves traveling a longer route. For the app, based on its data and analytics, it doesn’t matter if we travel a greater distance, we still need to get there faster.
If you want to customize Google Maps routes, you can access the application on your Android mobile and follow these steps:
- Click on your avatar or profile photo (in the upper right corner)
- Then go to Settings
- to push on Navigation settings
- In this section you can configure some of your preferences, including whether you want Google Maps avoid tolls or highways
Cover photo | Eva Rodriguez by Luis for Xataka Android
By | Automatic display
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