8 reasons Google Maps is the best navigation app

Google Maps is one of the oldest and most trusted navigation apps out there. And while there are other competitors, like Waze and Apple's Maps, Google Maps still holds the No. 1 spot thanks to the sheer number of features it boasts and its well-tested reliability.

The following is a list of reasons why Google Maps is the best navigation application available today.

1. Wide coverage

The main benefit of Google Maps is its wide coverage. You can open the app on your mobile phone and find that it works almost anywhere in the world. And thanks to Google Maps offline maps, you can still navigate without an Internet connection

The technology works by using a combination of high-resolution satellite imagery, GPS signals, and geographic information system data. It is further enhanced by community service offering, user contributions, and Google's partnerships with governments and authorities around the world.

The only navigation app that comes close to achieving these is Apple Maps, but it doesn't have a large user base like Google Maps. The large user base gives Google Maps an advantage because it has more passive and real-time contributions.

2. Real-time traffic updates and navigation

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When you start a trip on Google Maps and choose to go to your destination by motorbike, public transport, or car, Google Maps will show you live traffic updates.

These updates can guide you on which routes and alternatives can help get you to your destination faster, including traffic lights, toll booths, and traffic conditions. In fact, the total trip time is adjusted in real time based on the traffic situation. Google Maps communicates these traffic situations by color coding.

It also offers turn-by-turn navigation, notifying you where and when to turn as you move toward your destination. Apple Maps offers a similar feature, but it lacks the robust database that Google Maps has and doesn't allow you to add custom stops along the route to your destination.

Waze, another Google product, is the only app that can navigate better than Google Maps. That's because Waze is specifically designed to get you to your destination in the shortest time possible.

However, Google Maps may still prevail as it is less reliant on other users and will still suggest better routes. It also caters to hikers, while Waze does not. In addition, Google Maps also has related alerts that let you know about potential natural disasters or weather-related events that could hinder your trip or put you in danger.

3. Integrated public transport information

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Google Maps also tracks public transport and will give you exact bus, train and metro times.

If you want to use a ride-sharing app, Google Maps can give you a cost estimate and a link to an app where you can hail a ride. At the same time, it still shows a reasonable estimate of your trip time.

While Apple Maps can track buses on the road, it can't give you the same coverage and detail as Google Maps. Knowing how crowded the bus is is something Apple has yet to do.

4. Street View

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Google has gone through the trouble of sending a vehicle to map most of the world's roads with images. As a result, you can stay at home and zoom in on locations to see what they look like. This feature is called Street View, and it can be extremely useful if you want a 3D panoramic view of the place you plan to visit.

It's easy to learn how to use Street View, and once you're done, you can use it on the web or on your mobile device. Apple Maps has a competing feature called Look Around, but it doesn't have as much coverage as Google Maps, but it's slowly expanding its reach to other cities over time.

5. Local business information

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Google Maps has built a reputation for providing information and reviews about businesses. Most serious businesses that have a physical location show up on Google Maps because it's a good way to give them an online presence. Business owners can use the Google My Business app to put their business on the map.

Many customers have relied heavily on Google Maps business reviews as an idea of ​​what to expect from a business. And tourists also use it to get an idea of ​​what the experience of a tourist attraction should be like.

Using the Local Guide initiative, Google even built a program to encourage locals to share as much information about businesses and attractions around where they are. It uses a rating and points system that rewards helpful users by sharing reviews and photos of places they visit.

So you can find restaurant menus, gas stations, closing hours, crowding levels, etc. on Google Maps. Its closest competitor, Apple Maps, has far fewer business options.

6. Integration with Google services

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Google is the largest and most trusted search engine in the world and it integrates seamlessly with Google Maps. If you've ever searched for a business or place, chances are that Google Maps results will also show up with all the relevant information.

But as Google Maps is part of the Google ecosystem, it also brings a host of other related features. These include Google Photos which uses the geolocation features of Google Maps to view and organize photos by where you took them. And voice-controlled Google Assistant with which you can communicate location-based information.

7. Continuous updates and improvements

Google is constantly updating Google Maps and even adding features from other competitors to improve it. No other navigation app can boast of regular updates and new features than Google Maps.

Google Maps also pioneered new, improved features – as Google Maps did with adding traffic lights to its maps and setting the standard for other apps in the field to follow. Google Maps has become so reliable that ride-sharing and location-based apps use its database at the core of their operations.

8. Cross-Platform Availability

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Google has never been stingy with its apps and services. It doesn't matter what hardware you're using; you can get Google Maps on everything, including your Apple Watch. This cross-platform availability is one of the strongest points that puts it ahead of Apple Maps, Google Maps' closest rival to date.

Jessica Tanner

Update 24 July 2023