Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Magic Earth
Finding a Google Maps alternative for navigation isn't as difficult as you think, especially as the number of apps offering turn-by-turn guidance and other similar capabilities keeps growing.
Magic Earth is one of the apps that rapidly gain traction for a simple reason: it's focused on user privacy, so unlike Google Maps, it's not interested in your data.
Magic Earth also receives frequent updates, with the most recent two releases bringing good news for iPhone and CarPlay.
First, version 8.0.3 was released in late February with a new traffic design panel that includes the delay time and distance. Such data has become critical for drivers when heading to a destination, and other navigation apps also received updates in this direction. Waze has recently started showing an estimate of how long you'll spend in a traffic jam on CarPlay – the feature was already available on mobile devices, but the growing interest in this information convinced the Google-owned company to bring it to CarPlay, too.
Magic Earth also started highlighting highway exit and roundabout exit numbers on the map, making navigation more convenient and straightforward.
Version 8.0.3 also included a new traffic bubble on the map when entering route traffic.
The parent company has recently released another update for iOS devices. If the previous update only included bug fixes for CarPlay users, the new update comes with road codes and sign post information in the CarPlay navigation panel. The purpose is to make navigation more straightforward, as additional data is displayed in the navigation panel.
The most recent Magic Earth update also includes a new design for the Intermediate Waypoint bubble on the map.
Magic Earth uses offline map data from OpenStreetMap, with support for 233 countries and regions. It includes 2D, 3D, and satellite maps, as well as location data for parking places and information like route surface, difficulty, and elevation.
If you want to run the app on your mobile device, you also get a feature that isn't otherwise available on CarPlay. Magic Earth includes an AI dashcam component that can monitor and record the trip and offer extra features like Driver Assistance warnings.
Like Google Maps, Magic Earth also includes traffic information, with the parent company promising up-to-date data with new details downloaded every minute. The application can also suggest alternate routes to avoid traffic jams when the road gets busier on the way to your destination.
As a bonus, Magic Earth also displays weather information. The application shows the current temperature and forecast for your favorite location, but you can also expand this module to see the expected conditions in the next hours and for the next 14 days,
Magic Earth works on any iPhone running at least iOS 15, so if you own an iPhone 15, you should be able to run the app just fine.
Magic Earth also receives frequent updates, with the most recent two releases bringing good news for iPhone and CarPlay.
First, version 8.0.3 was released in late February with a new traffic design panel that includes the delay time and distance. Such data has become critical for drivers when heading to a destination, and other navigation apps also received updates in this direction. Waze has recently started showing an estimate of how long you'll spend in a traffic jam on CarPlay – the feature was already available on mobile devices, but the growing interest in this information convinced the Google-owned company to bring it to CarPlay, too.
Magic Earth also started highlighting highway exit and roundabout exit numbers on the map, making navigation more convenient and straightforward.
Version 8.0.3 also included a new traffic bubble on the map when entering route traffic.
The parent company has recently released another update for iOS devices. If the previous update only included bug fixes for CarPlay users, the new update comes with road codes and sign post information in the CarPlay navigation panel. The purpose is to make navigation more straightforward, as additional data is displayed in the navigation panel.
The most recent Magic Earth update also includes a new design for the Intermediate Waypoint bubble on the map.
Magic Earth uses offline map data from OpenStreetMap, with support for 233 countries and regions. It includes 2D, 3D, and satellite maps, as well as location data for parking places and information like route surface, difficulty, and elevation.
If you want to run the app on your mobile device, you also get a feature that isn't otherwise available on CarPlay. Magic Earth includes an AI dashcam component that can monitor and record the trip and offer extra features like Driver Assistance warnings.
Like Google Maps, Magic Earth also includes traffic information, with the parent company promising up-to-date data with new details downloaded every minute. The application can also suggest alternate routes to avoid traffic jams when the road gets busier on the way to your destination.
As a bonus, Magic Earth also displays weather information. The application shows the current temperature and forecast for your favorite location, but you can also expand this module to see the expected conditions in the next hours and for the next 14 days,
Magic Earth works on any iPhone running at least iOS 15, so if you own an iPhone 15, you should be able to run the app just fine.
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