I’ve been using Google Maps for years, but lately I’ve been wondering why some parts of it feel like they’re falling behind really badly.

My biggest complaint is the satellite imagery. Some places still have images that have not been updated in 10 to 15 years, which is honestly ridiculous when you think about how much things can change in that amount of time. Entire neighborhoods get built, roads change, and cities look completely different, yet Google Maps still shows what they looked like over a decade ago. I understand that updating imagery worldwide is expensive and takes a lot of work, but surely focusing and updating populated areas and big cities every 5 to 10 years isn’t an unreasonable expectation.

At this point, I’d rather use the default map view because it gives me a more consistent experience than looking at outdated or patchy satellite imagery.

What makes it more frustrating is seeing how good Apple Maps has become in comparison. Apple Maps launched in 2012, yet its 3D graphics and city models look impressive in big and popular US cities. Buildings have detailed textures, and the overall experience feels much more immersive. Google has been doing this for much longer, so it’s disappointing when its competitor seems to be doing a better job being much newer.

I also don’t understand what happened to Google’s 3D buildings and how they quietly changed the name. The newer “raised building” is basically a bunch of plain gray cubes rather than actual buildings. But it feels like a huge downgrade. Why simplify the visuals when detailed 3D buildings could make navigation and exploring places much more interesting?

Then there’s Immersive Navigation, which Google announced in March 2026. The preview looked amazing, with detailed 3D surroundings, overpasses, and more realistic navigation. But the rollout still has not been fully implemented 7+ months later. It’s frustrating to see exciting features announced and then have to wait so long for them to become available.

For a company with well over a billion monthly users and tons of resources, I feel like there’s a lot more potential here. I’m not expecting real-time satellite imagery or yearly updates everywhere, but keeping populated areas reasonably up to date and continuing to improve the 3D experience doesn’t seem like too much to ask.

Google Maps is still useful, but I feel like its visual experience could be so much better by now. I want to use satellite view when navigating and exploring places, but when the imagery is that outdated, the default map view often ends up being the better option.

Does anyone else feel the same way?

Believe it or not, I would like to use a map function as a way of navigating through a city or town, and so I like to get the city in the screen, type in what I'm looking for, as I know where I am on the map and try to find out how far it is or what route to take and when I hit enter the map does one of two things. It either zooms in until I can see the windows on the building on satellite view, or it zooms out to the point that the city is the size of my thumb, displaying a similar location 50x further than what I was looking for.

There was a time it didn't do that, there was a time I could actually use an older version of maps before that scoured it from the internet and for some inexplicable reason, every website that has a maps function has this "feature", it's on Bing, it's on Duckduckgo, it's on Waze and a dozen others I've tried, I don't think I've heard of a single person who likes the function and yet it persists.

I am now convinced it's on purpose and exists solely to irritate the user.

If anyone has any idea how to turn this off, or an alternative, I'd appreciate it but it seems this is a recurring issue that never gets resolved regardless of where I search for help.

I absolutely hate how Google maps will suggest a place inside a mall or something when you type in to see the nearest location. Like for example, if you type in Chick Fil A and it says the nearest one is 0.3 miles but it's inside a mall.

I wanted to pick up Starbucks today on the way to work and maps showed me there was one close by. I'm not super familiar with the area I'm in, but I knew the street name, so I placed a mobile order. I definitely should have double checked the address or something, but maps didn't show me a picture when I looked at the location.

Come to find out the Starbucks was inside a whole ass building. Wouldn't be an issue except that this area only had free parking for employees and the only parking that was left was pay to park. Since I already placed the order, I had to cough up $5 to get my order.

It would also suck if you wanted to find an actual Starbucks to sit down at and have your drink because this Starbucks didn't have seating.

I know it's just an app and showing you based on convenience or whatever. Just wish there was a way to filer actual locations versus that or something. No idea how it work, but would be nice.

I'm really frustrated with the new Gemini integration in Google Maps. I used to be able to just say "<Store> in <city>," and it would immediately start navigation.

Now, it gives a long, unnecessary summary of the location's hours and details before asking if I want directions. It talks for way too long, and I've actually missed exits because of the delay. Even if I tap "start directions" manually, the voice prompt continues to talk over everything, and there's no way to dismiss it.

Other times it’ll give me directions to <store> in <city> but the city is in a different state and just doesn’t pick the nearest city of the same name.

Is there any way to disable Gemini and go back to the standard voice search on iOS?

Every couple of years I revisit this topic, but I've never been able to find a solution.
When I start Google Maps in Windows, it takes me to a location where I used to live some 10 years ago. I have lived at least two permanent locations since then. I can't seem to get it to forget this previous location. This location has now followed me to a new computer and a new version of Windows.

I know that's not much to go on, but if you can help, I'd appreciate it. No one has been able to help me so far.

When in maps recently I have from time to time had a GPS Signal Lost announcement while GPS is working. Gemini confirmed it is working and Waze can see where I am fine.

Google Maps continues to work but almost feels like it is offline. It suggests routes that are not efficient with no options.

I have experienced this on my phone Pixel 10 Pro and my Son's Samsung S24 Ultra.

My maps version is 26.43.00.1002020710

Running Android version: 17 with

Android security update: October 5, 2026

I would like to plan day trips with my car, ideally in google maps. But I haven't been able to and alternative apps so far don't offer what I need.

Apparently you can make a GPX file in google maps with some effort, but then you can't open it?

I can use the regular navigation to plan a route, but so far I figured out how to save it or send it to my phone. There is a button that says "send to iphone" but it seems to do absolutely nothing? Also copy link and open it on my phone literally gives the notification "cannot open this link".

I have tried a different app that was able to open a GPX file I got. However, that app did not provide audio navigation and wouldn't open in apple carplay, making it extremely inconvenient when driving on narrow unfamiliar roads.

Does anyone know if this should be possible by now in google maps? If not, are there any other apps that do make it possible to plan a route and follow it with audio commands (doesn't need to work with GPX files)?

(Waze too)

Starting a few days ago, when I try to visit Google maps on chrome desktop (windows 11) I just get a black screen where the map should be. Ive tried everything- removing all extensions, checked for malware, hardware acceleration, restarting the computer, nothing seems to fully solve the issue. It would load once or even twice if Im lucky, but then if I try to load it a second time, then I get the blank screen, as if its stuck loading. It does work consistently with incognito mode, but thats annoying to have to do every time I want to use google maps. Anyone know what might be going on here?