Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
At first glance, Google Maps is a fantastic application that truly makes the time we spend behind the wheel not only shorter but also more enjoyable and, in so many ways, safer.
By making the road more predictable, Google Maps helps drivers be in the know about what’s happening ahead, therefore giving them enough time to act accordingly.
But on the other hand, this doesn’t necessarily mean that Google Maps is always the top-notch application that many of us love. And a problem that more and more people seem to encounter is pushing many to alternative solutions.
The rerouting system bundled with Google Maps is misbehaving in the most awful ways, and this has attracted a new wave of criticism upon the app on the Google Play Store.
Users have obviously rated the application with just one star (out of a maximum of five), so the overall rating of Google Maps has dropped to 4.1 points. Despite being the world’s number one mobile navigation app, that is.
Now let’s see why this rerouting system is generating so much frustration in the Google Maps user base.
Most people complain that Google Maps silently and automatically finds a new route and enables it during navigation without even asking for permission. Others claim that occasionally, the new route changes the destination to a random location, obviously sending them to a completely different place.
Needless to say, it’s easy to see why this is such a big problem. If users don’t look at the screen when the rerouting takes place, they end up heading to a different destination, as Google Maps doesn’t seem to provide any confirmation regarding the change.
Others believe the rerouting system no longer makes any sense, simply because it only sends them on alternative roads to eventually save just a few seconds. And last but not least, some users are bothered by the rerouting prompts which they believe show up way too often, eventually interrupting the navigation experience and forcing them to look at the screen.
No matter if these complaints are well-founded or not, Google Maps seems to be pushing more and more users to other apps. Fortunately for Google, the main destination for Google Maps users disappointed with this rerouting system is Waze, a separate app also owned by the search giant itself and available on both iPhone and Android.
At some level, Google can consider itself lucky that the number of Google Maps alternatives on Android isn’t necessarily as high as users would want it to be. Most of the competitors, including solutions from TomTom and Sygic, are available with a fee, and it goes without saying they aren’t necessarily everybody’s cup of tea just because of this particular reason.
But on the other hand, this doesn’t necessarily mean that Google Maps is always the top-notch application that many of us love. And a problem that more and more people seem to encounter is pushing many to alternative solutions.
The rerouting system bundled with Google Maps is misbehaving in the most awful ways, and this has attracted a new wave of criticism upon the app on the Google Play Store.
Users have obviously rated the application with just one star (out of a maximum of five), so the overall rating of Google Maps has dropped to 4.1 points. Despite being the world’s number one mobile navigation app, that is.
Now let’s see why this rerouting system is generating so much frustration in the Google Maps user base.
Most people complain that Google Maps silently and automatically finds a new route and enables it during navigation without even asking for permission. Others claim that occasionally, the new route changes the destination to a random location, obviously sending them to a completely different place.
Needless to say, it’s easy to see why this is such a big problem. If users don’t look at the screen when the rerouting takes place, they end up heading to a different destination, as Google Maps doesn’t seem to provide any confirmation regarding the change.
Others believe the rerouting system no longer makes any sense, simply because it only sends them on alternative roads to eventually save just a few seconds. And last but not least, some users are bothered by the rerouting prompts which they believe show up way too often, eventually interrupting the navigation experience and forcing them to look at the screen.
No matter if these complaints are well-founded or not, Google Maps seems to be pushing more and more users to other apps. Fortunately for Google, the main destination for Google Maps users disappointed with this rerouting system is Waze, a separate app also owned by the search giant itself and available on both iPhone and Android.
At some level, Google can consider itself lucky that the number of Google Maps alternatives on Android isn’t necessarily as high as users would want it to be. Most of the competitors, including solutions from TomTom and Sygic, are available with a fee, and it goes without saying they aren’t necessarily everybody’s cup of tea just because of this particular reason.
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