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Google Maps Now Sending Users in the Middle of Nowhere - That’s Why We Need Other Apps

Google Maps is without a doubt one of the most advanced navigation apps out there, but the tiniest error in its routing algorithm can eventually turn a simple journey behind the wheel into a horror experience.
Google Maps on Android 12 photos
Photo: Google forums
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Unfortunately, the whole thing is getting even worse when critical bugs are ignored for way too long, and this is precisely what’s happening right now with a glitch that quietly changes the destination in Google Maps.

While this sounds horrible, it’s precisely what’s happening when users set up a new destination using either the coordinates of a specific location or a dropped pin. Google Maps quietly changes the point where you are supposed to drive, and needless to say, some users don’t immediately notice the new address and end up following the directions provided by the app.

The first time we reported on this behavior was in October, but users on Google’s forums claim the issue not only continues to be ignored but is also getting more dangerous because they end up in the most awkward places.

Someone, for instance, says they were driving a camper and got sent to an unsafe dirt road that was a couple of kilometers away from the place where they wanted to arrive. Others claim they were sent several miles away from where they were supposed to be, all because they didn’t notice Google Maps silently changed the destination point for their address.

Unfortunately, there’s absolutely no comment from Google on this, so we don’t even know for sure if the company is looking into it, and a fix is coming. Of course, no workaround has been discovered so far, so the typical solutions that involved clearing the cache and the data and going back to an earlier build of Google Maps don’t seem to produce any improvement.

In this case, however, switching to another navigation app seems to be the only option.

Of course, there are plenty of them out there, and you can find the best Google Maps alternatives in this article. However, if a permanent Internet connection is available, you can always rely on Waze, while for offline navigation, TomTom’s and Sygic’s software is just great.

On iPhones, Apple Maps is the best choice, especially if you live in the United States and want to navigate to a specific address that’s already on the map.

But at the end of the day, if you want the most accurate experience behind the wheel, what3words is probably the easiest way to get it, as the app guides you to a defined destination with a three-meter accuracy. The only thing you need is the custom address generated in what3words, though with some basic skills, you should also be able to use coordinates to find the address.
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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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