But multipoint routes (online, not offline) would indeed be REALLY REALLY REALLY great! It's a pain in the arse (and quite embarrassing) that this still isn't possible yet on smartphones.
if you have unlimited bandwidth each month sure, go right ahead. but for the rest of us, we'd like to save some money. 15$ for a couple megs of data over quota, no thanks. get real.
Don't forget the the ability to kill toll road routing globally instead of forcing me to choose a destination, back out of the next screen, THEN select route options and no tolls every single time. Because until they add that back, I won't use Google Navigation again. They didn't even have the decency to warn me of it's removal with the version 7 update, which came as a remarkably unpleasant surprise when I was driving after the update. I'm still kind of mad about that.
I don't really agree with Google's assertion that a global "avoid tolls" option is something that nobody wanted. They're as bad as Apple these days.
I travel a lot and often need to use Google maps to find the nearest gas station before turning in a rental car. The last several times,it will give me a gas station that is far away, and even give me a route that passes a closer gas station (which I go to). I'm guessing you have to pay money to show up in Google maps now. This is very disappointing (not to mention stressful when I need to get the car returned and catch a flight). I can't trust Google maps to find anything now - it will only show you what Google wants you to see. At least navigation still works.
as of right now (6 May 6:30 PM EST) I have version 7.7.0 on my Note 3. The google play store does not show an update available. It says Updated May 6, 2014 and states that it is installed.
I uninstalled updates and then downloaded latest version. It is still 7.7.0
You can grap the apk from AndroidPolice, it's signed by Google so you know it's legit. That's how I usually get these big 'core' app updates. Otherwise Google doesn't unmask these higher versions to everyone all it once, it rolls out slowly.
They have brought back one of the features the removed in the last update - having some control over the offline maps. That just leaves the elevation graph that used to be displayed when walking, and some simple way to a distance between two points.
Why is it always two steps forward then one step back? Although last time it was more of a case of one step forward (nicer UI), then two steps back with removed features.
This update is not yet available worldwide. I'm on Moto G 4.4kitkat but still have maps v7.7
Anyway, I just hope they bring some pieces of v6 back. Re-routing seems fine, but if they bring back the big buttons and clean interface from "navigation" it would be awesome!
First remove offline maps for no reason, then bring back a gimped version a year later. Nice. The area to cache is super small, in the old version it used to be around 80x80 km2, now it's more like 5*5 km2. Also if the area is too big there'll be a weird error that just says 'failed' with no explanation. The box to drag used to change in color when the area became too big for caching. Now it's just guesswork.
WHY did they remove the perfectly fine working old offline maps? I just don't get it.
Because there are too many people involved with Google. There's no one person that actually uses the apps to give approval. Instead it's like any other corporation that has grown too big. No one knows what one hand is doing to the other.
Or just get a GPS (app). Problem solved. Decent GPS ones go for ~100 and right now a 40 with lifetime map can be had for 77 dollars. I'm no shilling their products, just pointing out how cheap they are.
I just tried it, and apparently when you zoom to an area that's too large it'll display an error after you come to a complete stop. That means you'll have to keep pinching and waiting and pinching and waiting until the error goes away. Bluh.
The area to cache is super small, in the old version it used to be around 80x80 km2, now it's more like 5*5 km2. Also if the area is too big there'll be a weird error that just says 'failed' with no explanation. The box to drag used to change in color when the area became too big for caching. Now it's just guesswork. http://num.to/9456-4784-7940
And that's why you pay up for GPS app or put up with what's given to you for free. If you find $50 for something that you rely on often is too much then that's your problem.
Well, I've got HERE Drive+ for free (thanks Nokia!), and it is better than most dedicated GPS units. Plus since it supports complete offline mapping, it works just like one, too. I've got the entire US downloaded in my maps for offline use - just updated it to the latest available map over WiFi last week.
That's one annoyance with dedicated GPS units - you have to connect it to your PC via USB, and use their proprietary crapware to download maps. Oh and even if you have Lifetime Maps, some vendors seem to update so rarely that they're always a year behind. Drive+ is also faster/more responsive and easier to work with than any of the cheaper dedicated GPS units.
the feature that i'm looking for in a gps is not "depart at" but rather "arrive at" and then tells you what time you need to depart by to arrive on time. kind of a no-brainer but for some reason they don't think about it.
I just tried it, and here's the entirety of Google Maps: Basic map view Slide-out pane with a couple layers Search box with a button for navigation A button that links to 'you'
That 'You' button looks like some kind of social hub, with places you've reviewed and a prompt to review more places. It's got your home and work addresses, saved places, and recently-accessed places. At the bottom they've added a list of offline maps with either an option to save one or (if you have already) a link to a page where you can rename/update/delete saved maps or save a new one.
Aaaand, it's telling me my maps expire in 30 days, apparently. I wonder if they'll be deleted or if it'll just notify me that I should update them.
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30 Comments
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apertotes - Tuesday, May 6, 2014 - link
Still lacking. They need multipoint routes, and offline search of address and route plotting on downloaded maps.nathanddrews - Tuesday, May 6, 2014 - link
Don't be ridiculous, then you wouldn't need a data connection!AdamJensen - Tuesday, May 6, 2014 - link
But multipoint routes (online, not offline) would indeed be REALLY REALLY REALLY great! It's a pain in the arse (and quite embarrassing) that this still isn't possible yet on smartphones.Murloc - Wednesday, May 7, 2014 - link
I never used multipoint routes in my life but I guess it depends on your local geography and your job.Alexvrb - Tuesday, May 6, 2014 - link
Offline maps are much better with Nokia's HERE Drive app. In fact, I've come to like it better overall.smitty123 - Wednesday, May 7, 2014 - link
if you have unlimited bandwidth each month sure, go right ahead. but for the rest of us, we'd like to save some money. 15$ for a couple megs of data over quota, no thanks. get real.Murloc - Wednesday, May 7, 2014 - link
I think he was being ironic.If you want to save money you can still buy a basic gps navigator and use it for years.
Alexvrb - Thursday, May 8, 2014 - link
Or if you have HERE Drive+, just use that. It can run entirely offline, just like a dedicated GPS nav.LordOfTheBoired - Thursday, May 8, 2014 - link
Don't forget the the ability to kill toll road routing globally instead of forcing me to choose a destination, back out of the next screen, THEN select route options and no tolls every single time. Because until they add that back, I won't use Google Navigation again.They didn't even have the decency to warn me of it's removal with the version 7 update, which came as a remarkably unpleasant surprise when I was driving after the update. I'm still kind of mad about that.
I don't really agree with Google's assertion that a global "avoid tolls" option is something that nobody wanted. They're as bad as Apple these days.
kmmatney - Tuesday, May 6, 2014 - link
I travel a lot and often need to use Google maps to find the nearest gas station before turning in a rental car. The last several times,it will give me a gas station that is far away, and even give me a route that passes a closer gas station (which I go to). I'm guessing you have to pay money to show up in Google maps now. This is very disappointing (not to mention stressful when I need to get the car returned and catch a flight). I can't trust Google maps to find anything now - it will only show you what Google wants you to see. At least navigation still works.smitty123 - Wednesday, May 7, 2014 - link
gasbuddy on android finds that for you.Dug - Wednesday, May 7, 2014 - link
You are correct. It makes it basically useless except for route information.LongTimePCUser - Tuesday, May 6, 2014 - link
as of right now (6 May 6:30 PM EST) I have version 7.7.0 on my Note 3.The google play store does not show an update available. It says Updated
May 6, 2014 and states that it is installed.
I uninstalled updates and then downloaded latest version. It is still 7.7.0
usama_ah - Tuesday, May 6, 2014 - link
You can grap the apk from AndroidPolice, it's signed by Google so you know it's legit. That's how I usually get these big 'core' app updates. Otherwise Google doesn't unmask these higher versions to everyone all it once, it rolls out slowly.rstuart - Tuesday, May 6, 2014 - link
They have brought back one of the features the removed in the last update - having some control over the offline maps. That just leaves the elevation graph that used to be displayed when walking, and some simple way to a distance between two points.Why is it always two steps forward then one step back? Although last time it was more of a case of one step forward (nicer UI), then two steps back with removed features.
mkozakewich - Saturday, May 24, 2014 - link
Yeah, I've been saving offline maps for years, and now it's suddenly counted as a new feature?I had to google how in their last big update, because searching "Okay maps" makes no sense as a way of saving offline data.
marc1000 - Tuesday, May 6, 2014 - link
This update is not yet available worldwide. I'm on Moto G 4.4kitkat but still have maps v7.7Anyway, I just hope they bring some pieces of v6 back. Re-routing seems fine, but if they bring back the big buttons and clean interface from "navigation" it would be awesome!
rxzlmn - Wednesday, May 7, 2014 - link
First remove offline maps for no reason, then bring back a gimped version a year later. Nice. The area to cache is super small, in the old version it used to be around 80x80 km2, now it's more like 5*5 km2. Also if the area is too big there'll be a weird error that just says 'failed' with no explanation. The box to drag used to change in color when the area became too big for caching. Now it's just guesswork.WHY did they remove the perfectly fine working old offline maps? I just don't get it.
Dug - Wednesday, May 7, 2014 - link
Because there are too many people involved with Google. There's no one person that actually uses the apps to give approval. Instead it's like any other corporation that has grown too big. No one knows what one hand is doing to the other.chrnochime - Thursday, May 8, 2014 - link
Or just get a GPS (app). Problem solved. Decent GPS ones go for ~100 and right now a 40 with lifetime map can be had for 77 dollars. I'm no shilling their products, just pointing out how cheap they are.MossySF - Wednesday, May 14, 2014 - link
I reinstalled the Maps 6.x for this reason. Search for MapsD (NimaGL2 edition) on XDA. Works even if your phone came factory-installed with Maps 7.x+.mkozakewich - Saturday, May 24, 2014 - link
I just tried it, and apparently when you zoom to an area that's too large it'll display an error after you come to a complete stop. That means you'll have to keep pinching and waiting and pinching and waiting until the error goes away.Bluh.
AliceJRounds - Wednesday, May 7, 2014 - link
The area to cache is super small, in the old version it used to be around 80x80 km2, now it's more like 5*5 km2. Also if the area is too big there'll be a weird error that just says 'failed' with no explanation. The box to drag used to change in color when the area became too big for caching. Now it's just guesswork. http://num.to/9456-4784-7940chrnochime - Thursday, May 8, 2014 - link
And that's why you pay up for GPS app or put up with what's given to you for free. If you find $50 for something that you rely on often is too much then that's your problem.Alexvrb - Thursday, May 8, 2014 - link
Well, I've got HERE Drive+ for free (thanks Nokia!), and it is better than most dedicated GPS units. Plus since it supports complete offline mapping, it works just like one, too. I've got the entire US downloaded in my maps for offline use - just updated it to the latest available map over WiFi last week.That's one annoyance with dedicated GPS units - you have to connect it to your PC via USB, and use their proprietary crapware to download maps. Oh and even if you have Lifetime Maps, some vendors seem to update so rarely that they're always a year behind. Drive+ is also faster/more responsive and easier to work with than any of the cheaper dedicated GPS units.
smitty123 - Wednesday, May 7, 2014 - link
the feature that i'm looking for in a gps is not "depart at" but rather "arrive at" and then tells you what time you need to depart by to arrive on time. kind of a no-brainer but for some reason they don't think about it.rigel84 - Tuesday, May 13, 2014 - link
For some reason that only works if you select public transportation.GreenThumb - Tuesday, May 13, 2014 - link
Does anyone know if "My Places" / My Maps is back now?mkozakewich - Saturday, May 24, 2014 - link
I just tried it, and here's the entirety of Google Maps:Basic map view
Slide-out pane with a couple layers
Search box with a button for navigation
A button that links to 'you'
That 'You' button looks like some kind of social hub, with places you've reviewed and a prompt to review more places. It's got your home and work addresses, saved places, and recently-accessed places. At the bottom they've added a list of offline maps with either an option to save one or (if you have already) a link to a page where you can rename/update/delete saved maps or save a new one.
Aaaand, it's telling me my maps expire in 30 days, apparently. I wonder if they'll be deleted or if it'll just notify me that I should update them.
kMapsMedia - Tuesday, June 3, 2014 - link
Free offline maps with search, covering the entire world, and fits easily on most IOS devices. http://kmaps.co