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Google Maps on Android Auto, CarPlay Often Suggesting Useless Alternate Routes

If you’re using Google Maps for navigation, either on your phone or on the car’s HU through Android Auto or CarPlay, there’s a chance that you came across a rather weird behavior of the app lately.
Google Maps alternate route 1 photo
Photo: reddit user hourlongflyer
More specifically, the alternate routes that Google Maps very often suggests make absolutely no sense, as some of these actually recommend users to go in a full circle, take a sudden left or right only for up to several hours worth of driving to be added.

Earlier this week, for example, while I was driving home with Google Maps, so it was a location that was already saved in the app, I was told to take a left when, in fact, I needed to go right. Google Maps thus suggested an alternate route that added a little over one hour of driving for a reason that’s impossible to determine right now.

The app, however, just wanted me to take a detour, despite some other alternate routes to my address already available and used before.

There are several complains of similar problems with Google Maps in other places online, including on reddit. Someone in this thread, for example, is being provided with an alternate route that’s nearly 2 hours slower, and by the looks of things, they’re being told to actually a take a turn and go back to where they’ve been previously.

For the time being, there’s not much that we can do other than ignore these alternate routes. As a matter of fact, the other navigation apps seem to be working just fine – in addition to Google Maps, I also use Waze, and the suggested routes are all accurate, without any detour recommended.

Google has recently released new Google Maps updates for Android and Android Auto, so fingers crossed for the company to also include fixes for this weird behavior of the app.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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