Google Maps on Android is now crap

[s44]

What happened to Places? Totally gone. And now place searches take forever and are horrible.

Anyone have the last good version apk?

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Yeah. Been saying this for a while now, but we all just gotta live with it. It also runs choppy as hell on my N10 although I think it's been improved. Instead of 10 fps its like 20 fps now.

 

[Zaap]

I just uninstalled the Maps update and went back to the factory installed Maps/Navigation. The new version was 100% unusable for me.

 

[EagleKeeper]

I just uninstalled the Maps update and went back to the factory installed Maps/Navigation. The new version was 100% unusable for me.

Does doing so lock you into the old maps also?

 

[Zaap]

Pretty much. It reverted to the stock Maps from 4.2.2 and I can't update it.

But since I've gone from 100% unusable to usable again, it's a fair trade-off.

I was traveling when the new version came out and was shocked how ill-suited it was to the task of actually finding anything in the real world, or even discerning the current location. I'd still be lost somewhere if I had to rely on that POS. I think people that have never even driven a car designed the update.

 

[OS]

Surprisingly, windows phone seems to have pretty good maps.
(not trolling i have an N4 and mostly android phones previously)

 

[PhoKingGuy]

Does anyone elses GPS take forever to lock now? Happens on both a N4 and Xperia Z

 

[Strk]

Does anyone elses GPS take forever to lock now? Happens on both a N4 and Xperia Z

Yeah, it requires a lot of refreshing now

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Does anyone elses GPS take forever to lock now? Happens on both a N4 and Xperia Z

But that should not be dependent on the maps app. GPS functionality and lock times are dependent at an OS level.

As for the guys talking about using a downrev Google Maps, yeah I guess if you really need the functionality, but the way I see it is that there's no point fighting the change. As much as I hate the steps backwards Google took, I can only hope they fix these issues. The no "My Places" thing is definitely going to be an issue when I'm in Asia again. I get around in Asia relying on the maps I've created on my computer.

What's interesting about "My Places" is that whole feature might just disappear. Given it's gone from the new mobile Google Maps and the desktop Google Maps, who knows if they'll keep it around.

 

[Crow550]

The only thing I noticed on both the Desktop and Mobile is the lack of adding in more destinations to your route. Which to me is a big feature to forget to add back in.... Luckily on trips I mostly use Waze.

Other than that on my Nexus 4 it seems to run pretty well. I think it looks nice. Just needs some of the features added back in....

I'm debating if I should downgrade G-Maps or not.... Until all the kinks of the new G-Maps is worked out....

 

[zoiks]

Works great on my Nexus 4. No complaints.

 

[Bateluer]

Works great on my Nexus 4. No complaints.

Same on the HTC One, though the new UI took some getting used to. Its perfectly smooth, and its gotten smarter about directions, detours around traffic&construction, etc.

 

[hans030390]

Not having any issues on my HTC One.

Surprisingly, windows phone seems to have pretty good maps.
(not trolling i have an N4 and mostly android phones previously)

My GF has tried several map apps on WP8 and has hated all of them (HTC 8X). The navigation app the phone came with literally doesn't work...it won't even load. And anything else that uses GPS has troubles tracking your vehicle. Might be phone/provider specific, but is still frustrating. She goes for my phone if she needs maps and navigation.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Same on the HTC One, though the new UI took some getting used to. Its perfectly smooth, and its gotten smarter about directions, detours around traffic&construction, etc.

What's perfectly smooth? It certainly isn't 60 fps on my Nexus 4, but is it 60 fps on your HTC One?

 

[Red Storm]

I haven't noticed any performance difference. I don't like the new UI, it's too simplistic in my opinion, but the routing and directions are a little better than before so overall I have learned to like it. I never used places, didn't really make sense to me why it was there at all. You want to find places, just search for general stuff and you'll get the same list.

 

[WelshBloke]

Can you guys not just tap on the little figure in the right of the search bar?

That takes me to a list of favourite places and such like.

What bit of my places are you missing?

 

[s44]

What bit of my places are you missing?

The better-Yelp-than-Yelp listings of nearby/open/otherwise filtered restaurants, cafes, other sorts of businesses...

 

[WelshBloke]

The better-Yelp-than-Yelp listings of nearby/open/otherwise filtered restaurants, cafes, other sorts of businesses...

Just type cafe or restaurant into the search bar?

 

[Oyeve]

I updated a while back and quickly removed the updates. Labs measure gone, street view was bad as opposed to the drag-man thingy. Every time there is a patch i reinstall it but usually revert back to the default version on my S4.

 

[WelshBloke]

I updated a while back and quickly removed the updates. Labs measure gone, street view was bad as opposed to the drag-man thingy. Every time there is a patch i reinstall it but usually revert back to the default version on my S4.

Street view is easier on the new version, you just tap on the location and hit Street view.

 

[sweenish]

The measure is baked in, the problem is that is disappears too quickly and only seems to appear when zooming.

 

[Oyeve]

Street view is easier on the new version, you just tap on the location and hit Street view.

The tap is not as accurate as in the older drag-man version. I tested it this morning when I had to view a street sign on my block to see what time I had to move my car and on the old I can get right up on the sign but the new one I was tapping like a nut and it wasnt getting it right.

 

[Bateluer]

What's perfectly smooth? It certainly isn't 60 fps on my Nexus 4, but is it 60 fps on your HTC One?

So long as theres a strong enough data signal, I don't notice any stutter on it. On my home wifi, its flawless. On TMO's cellular, it varies and can stutter while it loads on the data drip.

 

[WelshBloke]

The tap is not as accurate as in the older drag-man version. I tested it this morning when I had to view a street sign on my block to see what time I had to move my car and on the old I can get right up on the sign but the new one I was tapping like a nut and it wasnt getting it right.

I used to hate the drag-man thingy, it seemed to be random for me if it worked or not.

I tend to do the fine adjustment when I'm actually in the street view view.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

I typed in Sheetz and the nearest one it brought up was 10 minutes away. My co-worker said, no there is one right down the street about a mile that way.

wtf google!?