8 Best Navigation Apps of 2024

• Maps: The most important thing about a GPS navigator is that your maps are up-to-date so that there are all the new streets, new roundabouts, and changes in the road.
• Offline: That allows us to download your maps to operate without a data connection, to continue using the application without coverage.
• Traffic: That the GPS navigator informs us about traffic jams, accidents to avoid the dreaded retentions.
• Speed ​​alerts: That alerts us with changes when we have exceeded the speed limit of the road.
• Radars: To inform us about the presence of fixed or mobile radars.
• Alternative routes: That we can decide which route to choose to reach our destination.
• Stops: Being able to make several stops in different directions before reaching the destination of our journey.
• Modes: Different ways to move to our destination: car, motorcycle, public transport, walking, bicycle, etc.
• Route options: To avoid tolls, highways, unpaved roads, etc.

List Our Selection of Candidates

In our comparison, we have selected the seven most popular GPS navigators on Google Play, the ones with the most downloads and positive ratings, and which have also recently updated their applications. Our candidates are:

1. Google Maps

Of course, we begin our comparison with Google Maps, the most widely used GPS navigator on Android, and the best alternative for various reasons. It has a very minimalist interface, it is very easy to use, and it has voice commands to use it without having to touch the screen.

Its maps are updated daily, as is information from millions of business cards. It allows us to download regions, share our location in real-time, add stops, see alternative routes while driving Google, avoid being late to our destination thanks to real-time traffic information, and much more. The only downside is that currently in Spain speed alerts and speed camera warnings are not available.

Google Maps has been and remains the leader in the field of free navigation applications. The program can offer you up-to-date maps of more than 220 countries of the world, quick paving of the route, and its exact following for both motorists and pedestrians.

Also, there is voice navigation to simplify the process of orienting in new terrain to drivers of cars and bicycles. Also, it is possible to monitor the traffic situation, to know about traffic jams and incidents in order to build an alternative route in time.

The application also offers a description of more than 100 million different places: recreation, education, medicine, etc. Also, Google Maps can calculate how long it takes to overcome a given route and take into account traffic jams.

You can quickly get information about any objects, see a map from a satellite, and also use 3D models, and the Street View function will help you quickly navigate in an unfamiliar place and find out the final destination of the route.

2. HERE WeGo Maps & Navigation

We continued our comparison with Here WeGo, which a few years ago was the Windows Phone mapping application until Nokia sold its mapping service to a consortium of Audi, BMW, and Daimler.

Here WeGo is also a totally free best navigation apps and the best alternative to Google Maps. It has a very careful interface. It allows us to download your maps by continents, countries, or indigenous communities, and it has traffic information and speed alerts.

What it does not allow is to add stops, share our location in real-time, or see speed cameras. Of course, its maps are updated four times a year.

3. Sygic GPS Navigation & Maps

A fairly popular best navigation apps that have collected many positive reviews. You can use it for free, although there are some paid features that expand the capabilities of the service.

The program works on the basis of TomTom cards, and they can be saved in the gadget’s memory or on an SD card, thereby solving the navigation problem in the absence of the Internet. The program has data for 160 countries and cities, information on attractions, the function of laying a route, and there are three alternative options to choose from. Also, the user is informed about traffic jams, about toll roads.

Developers offer a more advanced version of the application, which includes additional features. So, the user will have the opportunity to use 3D maps, receive prompts for rebuilding at complex intersections, voice commands during navigation, prompts about the presence of cameras, and the need to reduce speed.

Sygic is the most downloaded alternative to Google Maps in the Play Store. It is a free download GPS navigator, but there are some paid features, such as traffic information, voice directions, or some of its maps. They allow us to test all its functions for 7 days.

4. MAPS.ME – Offline maps, travel guides & navigation

After Sygic, Maps.Me is the second most downloaded alternative GPS navigator, free, with five navigation modes and using OpenStreetMap maps, which are updated every day.

Maps.Me allows us to download your maps by country and by indigenous communities. It does not have speed alerts, but it does have speed camera warnings. It also does not offer alternative routes, and its points of interest are few.

One of the best navigation apps that do not require an Internet connection at work, which means that you can not only save money. But also use the program freely even in areas where there is no Internet connection at all, or it is very expensive (for example, roaming).

The application offers maps of the whole world, but the user can only download those that will be used in order not to overload the device’s memory. The program contains not only accurate maps of all corners of the world but also the most current photographs of many places and attractions because users add them themselves.

The application runs fast enough, as developers use sophisticated data compression technology. There is a search for objects, as well as the ability to find a point with the given geographical coordinates. Maps and all information can be updated when there is access to the Internet.

The application helps to build a route for both the car and the pedestrian. It searches for the desired object from 120 different categories: food, medicine, entertainment, museums, etc. Also, developers are constantly improving and updating the application, adding to it more and more new features. The interface deserves special praise: it is thoughtful and very convenient. The application is a real find for any traveler.

5. CoPilot GPS Navigation & Traffic

CoPilot is another paid GPS navigator that we can try for free, and it currently offers a 14-day trial. If we don’t pay, we will lose voice-guided navigation, map downloads, and real-time traffic.

This browser is the one that least updates its maps, between one and two times a year, the download of maps is by continents and countries and allows us to calculate the fastest route or the shortest route.

6. OsmAnd — Offline Maps, Travel & Navigation

A popular free application, in which, however, there is the possibility of internal purchases in the application, but you can fully use it without paying a dime. The design of the application is specific and does not always cause meritorious reviews, but otherwise, everything is fine. It is possible to download maps for free and use them offline – ideal when traveling abroad.

The application with high accuracy determines the user’s location, paves the way for motorists, pedestrians, and public transport, there is also a line of heights to determine the distance accurately. Routing on medium distances is carried out without access to the Internet. Also, there are additional layer maps that can be superimposed on the main map.

There is a function to search for addresses and necessary objects, and this is without the need for Internet access. Voice commands are also available. When driving on a route, there are warnings about exceeding the permissible speed, etc.

Users of the free version can download no more than 10 maps, and they will not be able to read descriptions about the sights if there is no access to the Internet, but these are not such strong restrictions. Developers are actively developing their products, so in the future, the appearance of other functions is not excluded.

7. MapFactor Navigator – GPS Navigation Maps

Finally, we finish our selection with MapFactor, another highly downloaded and highly rated GPS browser in Google Play, but which among our chosen ones has the worst interface.

MapFactor is free but has several payment options, such as real-time traffic information and alternative payment routes. Its free OpenStreetMap maps are updated every day, and its maps are downloaded by country.

It also allows you to buy TomTom maps. It has speed radars, speed warnings, and blocks certain streets. It is the only GPS with truck mode.

8. Waze – GPS, Maps, Traffic Alerts & Live Navigation

Another free application for Android devices, which is very popular and has positive reviews. Developers position their product as a social navigator. In addition to standard maps and navigation, there is an opportunity to unite in a single network with the drivers of your region, to provide and receive up-to-date information about the state of the road: traffic jams, accidents, police, prices at a particular gas station, etc.

Waze, also from Google, is a GPS navigator that stands out in its large ** community of drivers ** that share traffic and road information in real-time. It is unrivaled in traffic alert information.

Its maps are the same as those of Google Maps, so they are always up to date, but with the advantage that we will see more information about traffic incidents. Here we will have speed alerts and speed camera warnings. We can also share our journeys with our friends. The only downside is that it cannot be used offline. Like Google Maps, Waze is completely free.

The route of movement is selected so that the driver does not get into a traffic jam. Also, along the route, you will be able to receive alerts about the situation on the road in addition to the basic navigation tips.

Many social functions are also supported, for example, informing friends about the place and time of arrival, the ability to add friends from Facebook, increasing the rating for adding information about traffic incidents. The application suggests the cheapest refueling on the route. Developers constantly update maps and introduce new advanced features.

Which Apps do I choose?

Below we leave you with a comparative table with the most important characteristics of the analyzed GPS navigators so that you can see the pros and cons so that you can decide which GPS best suits your needs.

Our winning options are Google Maps and Waze, and they are the ones that offer the most up-to-date maps, the best information on points of interest, and the best traffic information in real-time. Above all, they are completely free. Plus, there’s no need to download your maps to use their apps, just like Here WeGo. In the rest of the alternatives, you have to download their maps to work.

Which navigator works without the Internet?

Nowadays, almost every person occasionally uses a navigator – this useful device allows you not to get lost in an unfamiliar area and quickly find the desired house, direction, or street. But sometimes, you need to use the navigator without having the Internet on your smartphone or tablet. Is it possible? What exactly is needed to install such an application on a smartphone, and how will it work? Why is this needed? You will learn about all this in this article.

How offline navigation apps work

The first step is to figure out exactly how navigation apps work without an internet connection. The fact is that their operation is identical to the principle of operation of a conventional car navigator – they have GPS. This is a special function, the essence of which is that information about your location is delivered to satellite systems using special built-in sensors. And this is done regardless of the presence or absence of the Internet on the smartphone.

This means that a regular smartphone can easily replace a simple navigator in a car if you install a good navigation application on it. There are many programs that allow you to determine your location in a special application store on the Android operating system, which is called the Play Market and is probably familiar to every user of such a device. Many of them are free.

In order to install the app, you need an account and an internet connection.

Best offline navigators

In order to navigate a little, let’s take a look at some of the best Android applications that are capable of performing their functions without an Internet connection.

Google Maps

This utility is installed by default on a huge number of devices and can work in two modes: online and offline. These maps, which allow you to navigate in any area, are one of the best navigator options for Android. The application archive contains maps of almost all places on the planet: many countries and individual corners where the most daring travelers go.

Navitel

Navitel is an excellent program that has maps of many countries, as well as advanced functionality. Unfortunately, the app is paid. However, you can use it for free for a certain period after the first installation, and, perhaps, this will be enough for the entire trip.

Now you know how you can turn an ordinary smartphone on the Android operating system into a full-fledged navigator and not get lost in an unfamiliar place, be it a wild corner in some remote forest, a busy highway in a large European city, or the road to a neighboring village. Thus, you can always navigate the terrain, even without an Internet connection.

Which navigator is better to choose

As practice shows, a smartphone is really very convenient for short trips around the city and can be used. But you shouldn’t abuse it, especially if you use an expensive flagship and want to keep it in working order longer.

Such a navigator is not very cheap, but still not more expensive than an average smartphone.

If you are driving to a store and it takes you no more than 20 minutes to go, you can safely use the maps on your smartphone, but if you plan to travel by car, it is better to get a specialized device. Now there are many of them, and they are inexpensive, but they will perform their functions much better.

Such navigators are designed to work for a long time, not to get warm during operation, and have a special screen coating that protects against glare. The picture on such a screen will definitely be of poorer quality than on the screen of even a relatively inexpensive smartphone, but is it so important.

For a schematic map display, this quality will be more than enough. At a price of three to four thousand rubles, the advantages of individual navigators on a long journey clearly overlap their disadvantages, and they will save you a smartphone, which definitely costs more.

How to use the navigation on a smartphone

Sooner or later, each of us has to travel to unfamiliar places, be it another city or someplace outside of it. To navigate in space, there are many tools, such as a compass or a map. As far as the city is concerned, usually, people are guided by street names and house numbers. As a last resort, you can always ask passers-by for directions.

Nevertheless, these are too outdated methods of orientation, which are extremely inconvenient to use. Moreover, there are many modern technologies that can facilitate this task.

First of all, the so-called GPS navigators should be mentioned. This technology most reliably helps to navigate in space, and it is focused primarily on car drivers.

As for pedestrians or cyclists, the most convenient tool is mobile devices with built-in GPS navigators.

The most common gadget, at the moment, can be considered a smartphone running on the Android operating system. Most of the devices on this system have complex specifications, including many modules and sensors. Among others, almost every device has a built-in GPS module. In fact, any smartphone can be turned into a GPS Navigator, albeit not as high-quality as a full-fledged device.

How to enable GPS navigation on a smartphone

When purchasing a new device, usually in the operating system, there is already a built-in application for navigation; however, most often it is Google Maps, which, although convenient to use, require a constant connection to the Internet from the user.

The Android operating system is so good that you can install any software on it at the discretion of the user.

First, you need to turn on the GPS module and, if possible, the Internet connection. Internet access will help you connect to satellites faster and determine the approximate location.

Navigation is turned on in the system settings, namely, in the ” Location ” or ” Geolocation ” section, ” Geodata ” may also be found. To enable GPS navigation, you need to put the switch in the active position, after which you can see which applications have access to navigation services.

Another way to quickly turn on the navigation module is to open the curtain by swiping vertically from the top of the screen and clicking on the corresponding icon.

In the first section,” Mode, “you can select the positioning accuracy and speed. Choosing the first item,” By GPS, Wi-Fi, and mobile networks, “a person gets the fastest and most accurate connection to satellites, but at the same time, one should take into account the consumption of energy and mobile traffic.

The slowest navigation is the determination of the user’s location, only by GPS satellites.

How to use the navigator on your phone, in the forest, and without the Internet

Probably, every smartphone user had to turn to the navigator for help. There are times when you are in a foreign city and do not know how to get to a certain place.

Some in an old-fashioned way ask passers-by, but not always there are those willing to answer you. If you have a smartphone, it is best to ask your navigator for help. Almost all young people know how to use the navigator on the phone.

But older people, most likely, do not even know that there is such an application. In this article, we will tell you how to use the navigator on your phone and how to use it in the forest and without the Internet.

Using the navigator

• First of all, you need to make sure that your phone model supports the navigation function. If your phone is an old model, which does not have this application, then, alas, you will have to purchase a new one.
• Download the application on the website or in the store, install it, and then you need to launch it. After starting, you will see several items: find an address, follow a route, search for a deposit, etc.
• If you need to find a specific establishment or address, you need to enter it – and the application will find the way for you.
• If this is your first time with the navigator, then practice with the nearest address, and you will see how it works.
• After entering the required address, the device will give you voice prompts about where you are going and where you need to turn.
• All that is required of you is attention because if you turn the wrong way, the device can change the path to the required address.
• You can find a shortcut to the desired place yourself. You can also choose a voice that will notify you.
• If you need to get to a restaurant or store, you need to select a location search; the navigator will find all suitable places.