The Google navigation application is one of the most used. Its popularity on the one hand and the fact that it is standard on Android devices are strong arguments, but it is also undeniable that Google Maps is a good GPS navigatorbut it’s not the only one and even if for tastes, colors, I don’t think it’s the best either.
That said, Google Maps needs to improveboth in small details related to the interface and its appearance and in other more serious and important features. At the moment, the display of lanes and directions has already been tweaked, a small but important change to avoid errors. But there’s still a lot of room for improvement, especially with what Apple Maps is refining.
An interface that tends towards disorder and chaos
Google Maps tends towards the baroque style and this is not new. In fact, Waze and Apple Maps take the lead from the official Android browser because they are cleaner and more intuitive. The fault is there excess icons, pop-ups and information cluttering it up.
Yes, there can be times when seeing the names of all the streets and businesses is helpful, like when I’m walking and looking for something, but driving is difficult.
Accuracy with public transport
I have a different app for each means of transportation. So, if I move around a big city like Madrid by public transport, it is clear to me that CityMapper is the best. Google should fundamentally rethink its algorithms with public transport because it stagnates.
Knowing which metro line or which buses are passing and can bring me closer is good, but it is time to demand something more: more accurate frequencies compared to reality, stops modified by the works, better combinations simply by adding a few minutes on foot.
Spends a lot of data
I travel relatively often and sometimes that means ditching my card and data plan in favor of other limited services and that’s when I start to cringe because Google Maps is a data guzzler.
Google Maps is ideal for me in these scenarios, especially functions that I understand are very consuming like Street View. Yes, I know I can use maps offline and I usually do, but I don’t always have a lot of foresight and sometimes I need more, like real-time updates.
He wants to know too much about me
Google’s thing with data is neither a surprise nor a new thing, but it never ceases to amaze me. Actually, Google Maps uses your location as the origin point by default to invite you to activate this permission in a subtle way and this is just the tip of the iceberg: a couple was able to determine how many times they met before meeting just by looking at what this application accumulates. If you care about privacy, there are alternatives that are much more careful in this regard (even its great rival, Apple Maps itself, does not have this requirement).
When Google acquired Waze, this was one of my big fears: Google’s other browser has an interface and a community like no other, but Google’s data processing always made me uncomfortable. Google promises that our data is anonymizedbut seeing how much he collects is terrifying. I don’t want my every move to be monitored and monetized.
There are companies in which too much emphasis is placed
I talked above about information overload and, although in some scenarios this is a good thing, we cannot ignore that not everything comes out or repeats with the same frequency. For example, Google bombs Starbucks while other popular but native sites go unnoticed.
This is no coincidence: Google Maps gives priority to tourist and renowned businesses and at least when you visit a new place it prefers discover good local businesses against commercial or sponsored suggestions.
Cover | Javier Pasteur
In Xataka Android | Google Maps in depth: guide with 38 tips to take advantage of all its functions
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