This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
I've been very satisfied by OSM map apps (mostly use Organic Maps) but my main issue is the lack of places and that's why I use Google Maps mostly.
Edit: actually found https://mapcomplete.org/ which aims to kinda do that? Still exploring but seems really cool so far.
But I really like satellite view.
In OSMAnd you can make a map with aerial tiles from bing. You have to configure the map view yourself but it is doable.
Edit: Enable Online maps plugin. Then enable Microsoft Earth as a base or overlay map.
this is great but i'd also recommend contributing and editing your local area in openstreetmap.org too.
In trying to find privacy-oriented map software, I found OsmAnd as well as OrganicMaps and shortly thereafter began contributing to openstreetmap. It’s actually quite easy and IMO fun to find discrepancies and use your knowledge to help an open data set.
Not only have I seen my edits show up in proprietary softwares, but the area around me is more accurate, to the point where recent construction to the road network was updated on OSM and Apple Maps, but not Google maps.
I just checked and Google maps is still out of date.
Get OSMand~ from fdroid so you don't have to pay for the fully featured version on Google Play
Fdroid reports some seriously sus anti features, although I know it can be over dramatic. Anything to be worried about?
It's the same app as what's on the Play Store and if you're worried there's always...
https://github.com/osmandapp/Osmand
Tada!
If you appreciate OpenStreetMaps then check out StreetComplete. Its "like" Pokemon Go but for improving maps.
I'm honestly having so much fun getting out in my neighborhood and completing quests
Organic Maps tugs our heartstrings by their commitment to privacy. The app can run entirely without a network connection and comes with no ads, tracking, data collection, and best of all no registration.
In my experience this applies to OsmAnd too. Please correct me if I'm mistaken though.
For the cyclists here I just want to mention cycle.travel, which is hands down the best route planner I've ever used for nice bike rides which are direct but avoid nasty roads. It doesn't have an app (that I'm aware of) but you can use the website to generate a gpx track which you can import into OsmAnd and use to navigate offline.
The biggest drawback is not being able to project on my car's display. Organic maps is great but man i need the extra display.
I've had no problems with Organic Maps and carplay?
Is that a question?
Yes?
Maybe you are using android or theres some other reason your car doesn't display it, but if Im remembering correctly, Organic Maps works with carplay.
Android user. Google doesn't show it as an option. At least not one I'm aware of.
Without active traffic data, none of these is an adequate substitute for Google Maps navigation.
That's the price of privacy. Google has that traffic data because there are so many drivers with thier app installed. If you are OK with a giant corporation monitoring your every move, then of course that convenience is a good reason to use thier services.
Data is the new oil.
I'm not sure if traffic is "convenience" at this point. At least where I live, it's a nearly essential piece of functionality.
In fact, for local driving it's often the only reason to use a map app. I already know how to get to most of the places I want to go, I just need to know the best route to avoid traffic now.
https://www.magicearth.com/ has traffic.
Magic Earth kicks serious ass, it's legitimately performed better than both Google and Apple maps in my area. Searching for businesses is still a little janky, but if you're patient enough to just use Google maps to find a place and then copy the address it's exquisite, seriously.
I've been using Magic Earth for a while and it is quite good. Better interface than OsmAnd and Organic, but I keep all three installed.
It has traffic so it must have infrastructure to maintain, yet it also claims to be completely free.
How does this project make money?
Best info i could get is that they do a lot of bussiness to bussiness data stuff, and this nav app is like a showcase. That doesn't feel great for long term, but you could use it as a secondary app?
That doesn't sound too bad in the near term.
To be fair I feel like my lazy ass should've read their website further to get the same info, but then again, this exchange might save someone else a minute of scrolling the FAQ.
It says "crowdsourced traffic" so maybe they want lots of users to gather traffic data from.
For using osm as a map, it's great and very detailed. For cycling navigation it's ideal. And beats Google maps that fails to find a route without a data connection. Like when roaming. And in many poorer countries, where humanitarian agencies desperately need maps, Google doesn't bother to map any details, because there is no money in it for them. Fail again.
And, as with railways, companies love to build new, as you get a monopoly. But maintenance? No financial benefit to doing that.
Being able to use OsmAnd to navigate in airplane mode massively reduces battery drain as well.
Maybe for you, but there are use cases where traffic data isn't vital, like driving in small or medium sized towns where traffic doesn't ever get too bad. Or road trips where there is only one feasible route, and any other way would take hours longer.
But yeah, traffic data IS awesome, I'm not arguing with that 😄
For me live traffic is more vital than ever on long road trips, if some traffic pops up hours after I've been on the road and my GPS finds a way around it it can tell me what's up and adjust the route for me on the fly. When my road trips usually consist of north -> south on i95 down the East Coast of the US, it seriously comes in clutch.
~~The northern Virginia/DC metro area has traumatized me one too many times~~
Also when riding a bicycle and to a slightly lesser extent a motorcycle.
If your primary goal is finding out how to get from A to B and not caring about the very fastest way to get from A to B right now, then you don't need traffic data.
I've been using Organic and OsmAnd for a couple of years now after using Google maps for a long time. What I've noticed is that all three seem to prioritise different things when planning routes. Google seems to prioritise speed, Organic seems to prioritise shortest distance and OsmAnd seems to prioritise quieter roads but is very similar to Organic.
