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This Is the Newest Alternative to Google Maps on CarPlay, and You’ll Love It

HERE WeGo has long been available on Android and iOS, but the app recently made its debut on CarPlay, basically becoming the latest alternative to the likes of Google Maps and Apple Maps behind the wheel.
HERE WeGo on CarPlay 6 photos
Photo: autoevolution
HERE WeGo on CarPlayHERE WeGo on CarPlayHERE WeGo on CarPlayHERE WeGo on CarPlayHERE WeGo on CarPlay
Once installed on your iPhone, HERE WeGo shows up in the app launch on CarPlay just like any other regular app, so you can launch it with just a tap.

I used it for the very first time today for a 30-minute drive, and despite lacking some functionality, it’s one of the cleanest navigation apps that I’ve tried lately.

First and foremost, the good part. HERE WeGo comes with the essential feature package, so it can remember your addresses (such as home and work) and provide navigation directions in a layout that’s similar to Google Maps and Waze. Furthermore, it includes traffic data, so technically, it should help avoid traffic jams, something that truly comes in handy in crowded cities.

One of the features that I enjoyed the most is the offline mode, which can be enabled and disabled right from the settings screen in CarPlay – Google Maps also comes with an offline mode, allowing you to navigate using downloaded maps. But as compared to Google Maps, which prompts you to select a region to download the maps for using a square on the map of the world, HERE WeGo allows downloads per each country, so you can get the offline maps much easier.

HERE WeGo also displays specific points of interest, such as gas stations, much clearer on the map, so it’s really easy to notice one as you approach it. You can also see a list of the nearby POIs in a dedicated screen from the search UI.

What I didn’t like is the arrow that shows up on the map, which you can’t customize in any way. On iPhone (and thus on CarPlay too), Google Maps can be customized with a car icon to replace the arrow icon.

In one instance, HERE WeGo failed to rotate the map, albeit the app continued to track my location on the map.

All in all, this is a worthy alternative to Google Maps, but I think it’s mostly an app to have in mind if you plan to use it without an Internet connection with previously-downloaded offline maps. It works pretty smoothly on CarPlay, without any substantial hiccups noticed during this short drive.
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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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