iPhone And the bears keep 💩ing in the woods

[pedzsan]

Does Apple realize how bad Apple Maps still is? My son asked me what I did yesterday. I explained that I went to a near by park. Fortunately I had been there a few years ago so when Apple Maps took me to the wrong place, I knew what to do. My son’s reply was “And bears keep 💩ing in the woods”. He’s deleted it from his iPhone. I keep assuming God or some miracle has fixed it.

I’ve sent and will likely continue to send a dozen or so corrections to Apple each year. Essentially every time I use it, something is wrong. The location is wrong or the address is wrong or the description… something. Something rather major. In New Mexico while trying to get to a state nature reserve, Apple Maps took me to a rest stop about 10 miles away. Really? Is that the best you can do?

Driving home on Thanksgiving, Apple had me exit a perfectly nice I-35 interstate for a few exits and then get back on. Absolutely no reason at all. On the trip to Socorro, NM, driving up the north south interstate, it took me on an hour tour of the country side for some random reason. I have no idea why. (I can now say that I’ve been to the famous Hatch, NM if that happened to be on my bucket list. 🤷)

I keep sending corrections and they keep “fixing” them. While in Germany, I would cross reference Apple’s locations and train schedules with Google’s. I hate Google and try very hard not to use anything they touch. But, while Google is pure evil, Apple’s competence is very low — especially with Maps.

What is funny (like a broken crutch type funny) is how Apple comes out and play it up every few years. “It’s massively improved!!!!” … HA!

 

[sparksd]

I never use it now - too many other good options available to waste time with it.

 

[pedzsan]

I never use it now - too many other good options available to waste time with it.

I know about Waze but I’ve not used it enough to feel comfortable with it. What is your favorite(s)?

Also, Apple Maps has train schedules, place names, etc. It’s not just for directions. I keep going back to Apple Maps because it is an all in one type solution.

On a different topic, is there anything beside Google that has street view?

 

[sparksd]

I know about Waze but I’ve not used it enough to feel comfortable with it. What is your favorite(s)?

In the car or on the street, I like maps.me or Google. Also have a Garmin nuvi 3590LMT that works better than either. On the trail, Gaia GPS on the iPhone 14PM (plus my Garmin GPSMAP 66sr and paper maps - always - for backup).

 

[pedzsan]

In the car or on the street, I like maps.me or Google. Also have a Garmin nuvi 3590LMT that works better than either. On the trail, Gaia GPS on the iPhone 14PM (plus my Garmin GPSMAP 66sr and paper maps - always - for backup).

Yea. I use Gaia on the trail and to create a track of where I go.

I use to have a Garmin (two or three actually) but just assume that there are apps that are better. Does Garmin have up to date traffic reports and such. One I had claimed it did but I never used it for in city stuff. I would just use it for cross country treks where traffic wasn’t really an issue.

 

[JonnyMacx86]

This is largely dependent on where you are in the world, still. Where I am, Apple Maps is good enough that I haven't bothered with anything else. The last time it steered me wrong I chose option three out of three suggested routes and it took me down an old rural farming road that grew in over itself. That was more than ten years ago.

 

[sparksd]

Yea. I use Gaia on the trail and to create a track of where I go.

I use to have a Garmin (two or three actually) but just assume that there are apps that are better. Does Garmin have up to date traffic reports and such. One I had claimed it did but I never used it for in city stuff. I would just use it for cross country treks where traffic wasn’t really an issue.

The 3590LMT I use has current traffic info. I've used Garmins since the 12 & 12XL when Selective Availability was on and screwing up accuracy. I like the outdoor models for their weatherproofness & long battery life.

 

[skottichan]

For me, Apple Maps has worked well, granted it's mostly been used in Ohio and most of New England. The only real issue I've had was at Hocking Hills, it marked a private drive as a road.

 

[NoBoMac]

In New Mexico while trying to get to a state nature reserve, Apple Maps took me to a rest stop about 10 miles away. Really?

Google Maps did something similar to me once: gave instructions to drive past the entrance to White Sands and then u-turn on the highway to come back to the entrance.

None of the apps are perfect.

 

[za9ra22]

I was heading to Dulles airport - which is not exactly a small and infrequently visited place - and Google Maps needed me to input its ZIP code in order to find it.

I haven't had much issue with Apple Maps, though in the very early days it wanted to route me via New Mexico, 1500 miles away, to get 50 miles up the road. But I recall the days when actual maps were needed, so I can forgive GPS systems quite a lot.

 

[AlmightyKang]

Not had any problems with Apple Maps really. I have used it heavily for at least 3-4 years in the UK and Western Europe.

If I'm out in the middle of nowhere or need a reliable outdoor map it's useless though. So is Google Maps. So Organic Maps gets the job. That has decent offline maps from OSM base layers and costs nothing. That had house numbers in the middle of bloody nowhere in Central Asia!

 

[Nermal]

This is largely dependent on where you are in the world, still. Where I am, Apple Maps is good enough that I haven't bothered with anything else.

It's better than Google where I am... for maps. But maybe half the shops aren't on it, presumably because shopkeepers are of the "nobody uses it" mindset and therefore don't bother to list their shops.

 

[Populus]

I like to use Apple Maps in the city, but on the countryside… I’ve already sent several reports of the name of a street in my town, which changed two or three years ago, and they review the correction BUT THEY DON’T DO ANYTHING! The street still has the old name FFSzhjufhhj

 

[Nermal]

Well, now that you mention it... Apple Maps has a place marker for a little scenic spot in the wrong place. It's at the intersection of Hillcrest Road and Seaview Road. Seaview Road should really be called Seaview Crescent, because it's crescent-shaped and connects to Hillcrest Road in two places.

The marker was at the wrong intersection, so I submitted a correction. I moved it to the right place, and included a comment about what had gone wrong. This correction was accepted, and the marker was moved. Then, several months later, I opened that part of the map and found that it had been moved back to the wrong place again.

 

[TechnoMonk]

I use Apple Maps, and my wife is used to Google maps. I find Apple more accurate than Google where I live. Google maps gets worse in the woods or hills. It gave the direction of a street down the hill next to river. The cottage we booked was on top of the hill.

 

[NoBoMac]

I haven't had much issue with Apple Maps, though in the very early days it wanted to route me via New Mexico, 1500 miles away, to get 50 miles up the road. But I recall the days when actual maps were needed, so I can forgive GPS systems quite a lot.

I still use my state “Gazetteer” maps. Better for planning trips vs the two apps and, of course, much more useful when in middle of nowhere with no cell signal and no cached map(s).

I ran a couple of quick tests when the first version of Apple Maps rolled out. Big problem I ran into was Maps had addresses on the wrong side of the street. Google would place address correctly but would try to route me down one way streets in the wrong direction.

Like I said earlier, none of them are perfect. And, agreed, can forgive GPS since common sense is still needed: don’t blindly obey the magical glass slab mounted to the dash.

 

[Lobwedgephil]

If I need traffic or watch for cops I use Waze, otherwise use Apple Maps and has been great.

 

[jedimasterkyle]

Apple maps for general driving and navigating in town. Their offline maps are bigger than Google's so that will make roadtrips easier (hopefully).

Google maps for when I'm curious about user reviews about restaurants or need better real-time traffic data (still not perfect though)

Gaia GPS for hiking/camping. Map layers for days and I can save entire regions and states offline on my phone but those maps are a space hog if not cleared afterwards.