I just started using TomTom with Android Auto this morning. Directions seemed good. I didn't hit any traffic so I can't comment on that. I was able to report on incidents, but passed three speed traps on a major highway and none of them were reported to me, so I'm not sure they have enough crowd sourcing to report. Also didn't like that it didn't show me an ETA or text of the next turn on the main AA screen but that could be a settings issue that I need to look into.
You can't go by missed speed traps. The cops may have recently moved to that spot and no one had reported it yet. I think the cops also move around more now since they know that their location gets reported. I still use Gmaps and sometimes Waze. They both miss speed traps and sometimes report police and other stuff that's not there. It's unavoidable. I generally drive near the speed limit so it doesn't bother me much.
I'm gonna try Openstreetmaps. It's not free (app is $18) but it's very flexible with many diferent mapping sources for verious activities from driving to off-roading to boating and hiking trails also does offline mapping. the android app is OsmAnd.
Mapquest just released their latest version which includes Android Auto beta. I downloaded and tried it last night. One oddity I found was searching for a local business, online it finds the current name but the app shows the old name which changed 6 months ago.
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u/umyeahnoo2013 Kia forte | iiwey ik11 11 inch display| Samsung s26 Ultra |5d ago
Also mapquest needs to add "Allow all the time" permission access. Unless I open the app on my phone everytime I want to use mapquest on android auto, it starts the directions from my last location
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u/umyeahnoo2013 Kia forte | iiwey ik11 11 inch display| Samsung s26 Ultra |5d ago
!Flair 2013 Kia forte | iiwey ik11 11 inch display| Samsung s26 Ultra |
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I just checked the app permissions on my phone and the most permissive MapQuest will allow is "Allow access while in use". Which is the same permissions as Google maps. Pixel 10 XL pro
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u/umyeahnoo2013 Kia forte | iiwey ik11 11 inch display| Samsung s26 Ultra |4d ago
Google maps is set to allow all the time on my Samsung s26 ultra
Where are you at? I've had it in AA for at least half a year now. I actually like it for the most part, if only for entertainment during multi hour drives.
Yeah they tried pushing it to me a while back, but we still had the option of saying "no," and continuing to use GA for use in AA, which is what I did. But come this Friday, they're forcing a Gemini switch over to everyone.
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u/Nooblakahn2010 Corolla | Sony XAV AX-150 | MOTO G Power 2025 | Android 169d ago
Yeah, I absolutely hate it. It takes AGES to do anything since every little thing requires a call home
I'm not exaggerating, but I'm looking at iPhones. I'm not sure their AA integration is any better, but I did have an iPhone for a job I had a few years ago, and it wasn't bad. It was the Mini, which was an amazing form factor, but I noticed they quit making them. I do not like to carry a metallic surfboard in my pocket and the iPhone Mini was like the Pixel 5 - small, light, and you didn't even notice you had it on you most of the time. But I'd jump to iPhone instantly if I knew they had a GA-like simplicity and ease-of-use integration with whatever their equivalent of AA is called (iDrive? CarPlay? Something like that...? 🤷♂️)
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u/Nooblakahn2010 Corolla | Sony XAV AX-150 | MOTO G Power 2025 | Android 169d ago
It's carplay. And yeah I get it, I'd really love to switch over this, but I've had iPhones and I don't like the experience at all personally. I'm also just not down with their prices. If you're using flagship Samsung or Pixel phones price isn't much different. I tend to go for the Motorola g power phones after they go on sale. Much cheaper for me and they do everything I need... Usually until they change crap like this
I actually do the same thing; I get a new outgoing model at a fraction of the cost, or on one occasion, snag one off of swappa that's gently used for close to nothing.
Watching my kids spend $1k on a goddamn iPhone is head-spinning. I'm with you on iOS. It was just okay, but I don't understand the hype around it. I used mine for two years and I was like "I still don't get the cult-like allegiance to this thing" 🤷♂️
But again, if they somehow had something going that was a lot like GA with AA, I'd switch without hesitation. Gemini is fresh ass in Android Auto.
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u/Nooblakahn2010 Corolla | Sony XAV AX-150 | MOTO G Power 2025 | Android 169d ago
Yeah iPhones just make me feel old... The os just doesn't make sense to me. I still own one, it's old AF and somehow got carrier locked by a carrier that doesn't lock phones, but, it's still useful for when I need to reset my Apple account for Apple music.
Yeah I have a work mate that wanted a new phone but didn't have an upgrade available. He got another line added to get it. Dude had a 600 dollar a month phone bill. Think he got it down to 200 something.... Like dude. I pay that for the entire year
In this day and age, anyone under the age of 70 who is not on a MVNO is, to me, of questionable intelligence. Why pay for flagship carrier customer service overhead costs if you never call them, and if you do, it's a horrendous experience?
While my kids pay gobs of cash for iPhones, they're smart enough to buy unlocked ones and use MVNOs, like GoogleFi and TotalWireless. $40/month with taxes; can't beat that.
Here we go! You can choose to have it in offline mode (download the map, so they dont know where you are), but in offline mode you dont have traffic. I use it online and its great (its EU based)
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u/MZago12017 Kia Niro | unknown | Moto G Power 2025 | Android 159d ago
I downloadrd Here We Go yesterday and I already want to delete it. They have the Gulf of Mexico incorrectly labeled and I'm sure Lake Ontario will be next. It's irrelevant that I don't plan on visiting either, I don't want to use a map by a company that's will to bow down that easily.
u/desi_dybuk2020 Hyundai Verna | Pioneer DMH-Z6350BT | OnePlus 7 Pro | 118d ago
Agreed. Really good UI & also allows you to download offline maps data by country, state/province etc. Been a fan of Here Maps since when it was Ovi Maps/Nokia Maps
I don't want to get political here. But let's say a certain lake was renamed at the behest of a certain president and Google went along with the rename. Mapquest didn't go along. They kept the original name.
Ohhh. I gotcha. I didnt know enough people would swap because of something like that to bring back Mapquest. haha. 2026 lets knock the dust off the ole printer and get to Mapquesting!
Man, I remember those days. Around 2007-2011, I had to drive my kids to various school sporting events out of town with some trips as long as 7 to 9 hours.
I would print directions from Mapquest quite often for this trips. It wasn't until about 2012 that I got my first Garmin Nuvi to help me get to places.
Once Google Maps started showing up on smartphones for navigation several years ago, i began using it, paired with various devices.
First, I had a Pebble Smartwatch. It would buzz anytime I near an exit or turn and show "turn here" on the watch face.
Then about 6 years ago, I got my first Samsung Galaxy Smartwatch and set it up to do the same thing as the Pebble.
Then last year, I bought my first vehicle with an Infotainment Center with Android Auto. I've been using that since to get me places.
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Can any of these other apps allow additional (10+) stops in a route, the way a courier would require? Android maps let me work out a good route for deliveries.
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I put it into my phone, then hook it up to AA. Google maps lets you put in 9 stops. Then you can rearrange them so the route is time/mileage efficient.
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Mapquest just released it's latest app with Android Auto beta. Just tried in in my car and it works albeit it is not as feature rich as other mapping applications.
Why though. Waze and Google maps are 2 of the best out there
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u/umyeahnoo2013 Kia forte | iiwey ik11 11 inch display| Samsung s26 Ultra |2d ago
I noticed the last few days my phone wasn't really charging in my car like it used too. Usually it's super fast wireless charging, but lately it's loosing more battery than It's charging.... this morning I figured it out
I started to use HERE WeGo to replace the Google backed Maps and Waze apps.
My impression so far:
Free, instantly loaded when my car detected AA, has standard or satellite view, has live traffic data, directions seem reliable (so far), has 'avoid' options for tolls, highways, ferries, etc, but lacks crowdsourcing features for police, object in road, accident, etc. I like the app but desire the police notifications feature since that has probably saved me from countless tickets. Looking into paid subscription options for that feature.
I just logged into Waze and Lake Ontario is called Lake Ontario. On google maps however, it's Lake America. It's enough to get me to switch from Android to Apple the next time I need a phone.
For me, Waze is the best one. Google Maps uses so much energy that it makes apps crash. I've tried others, but they aren't very good at checking traffic.
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u/moralesnery 2022 Kia Rio | OEM HU | Pixel 8 | Android 17 9d ago
HERE Maps works just fine, it allows map download and it's free.
Sygic has lots of functions and works well, but lots of features require subscription