Can we trust Google Maps to get us anywhere anymore?
Andy Walker / Android Authority
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We want to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments and vote in the poll below â your take might be featured in a future roundup.
This past weekend, I was driving home from a wonderful break in the country. I usually use Google Maps to guide me home on longer drives, even if I have driven that route before. Itâs more of a comfort than a necessity. However, it tried its level best to take me on an unwanted adventure.
To get home from the tiny town I visited, I had a choice between a faster toll route or the longer scenic mountain pass that runs alongside it. I selected the âAvoid tollsâ toggle before I left, thinking that the app would suggest I use the pass. After all, it was the best alternative available. That wasnât the case at all. Maps instead suggested two hugely divergent routes that wouldâve taken me two hours north or 90 minutes south of the best route. Absentmindedly, I came so close to taking the suggested deviations. And if I hadnât curiously glanced at my Android Auto display, I wouldâve ended up further from home.
This incident opened my eyes to the larger problem affecting Google Mapsâ navigation reliability, especially on the open road. Having read countless takes online about Maps guiding drivers on obtuse routes, Iâd say itâs a fairly wide-reaching issue. So, if you have a story to tell, Iâd love to hear it. Iâm sure other readers would too.
Here are the questions:
- Has Google Maps ever gotten you lost? If so, tell us about the experience.
- Whatâs the worst place Google Maps has ever taken you?
- Do you feel that Maps has grown more inaccurate and less reliable over time?
- What is your preferred navigation app on Android, and why do you pick it?
- Would you pay a premium for a Google Maps that offers smarter navigation and more contextually aware features?
Be sure to vote in the poll below, too!
Has Google Maps ever gotten you lost while driving?
0 votes
đSound off in the comments with your Google Maps adventure anecdotes and opinions.
