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Google Maps now requires WiFi scanning to use navigation

news.ycombinator.com

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Re: Google Maps now requires WiFi scanning to use navigation

#151

Post by rootusrootus »

cush wrote: post #125

If you have an iPhone and haven't been using Apple Maps, it's basically on par now with Google Maps for navigation. I hadn't tried Apple Maps for years because of how bad it used to be, and was pleasantly surprised to find the maps are incredibly accurate and turn by turn navigation is rock solid. I haven't touched Google Maps in months, and this post is reminding me that it's time to just uninstall it

A little while back my area finally got the Apple Maps 3D visualization update, and I have to say I'm pretty impressed. Took them some time to turn it around, but Apple definitely stepped it up after an awful start.

Re: Google Maps now requires WiFi scanning to use navigation

#152

Post by soperj »

cush wrote: post #125

If you have an iPhone and haven't been using Apple Maps, it's basically on par now with Google Maps for navigation. I hadn't tried Apple Maps for years because of how bad it used to be, and was pleasantly surprised to find the maps are incredibly accurate and turn by turn navigation is rock solid. I haven't touched Google Maps in months, and this post is reminding me that it's time to just uninstall it

Apple maps has still been total crap for me outside the US.

Re: Google Maps now requires WiFi scanning to use navigation

#153

Post by ImaCake »

Has anyone else found google maps will turn your position icon into a pop up saying “accuracy: low, tap to improve”? It is the most obnoxious UI “feature” I’ve seen in maps (one of many I suppose). When you click on it, it wants you to take photos of the street around you to improve accuracy! What bullshit. No, google, I am not going to give you free streetview photos because you are lying about location accuracy.

Re: Google Maps now requires WiFi scanning to use navigation

#154

Post by OneLeggedCat »

moritonal wrote: post #126
dessant wrote: post #86

Refusing service when the user does not consent to non-essential data sharing is illegal in the EU, and it also breaches Google Play's developer agreement. WiFi scanning is not essential to navigate with an app, and the least they could do to follow the law is to gracefully degrade the service if the user does not consent to share data about nearby devices, such as disabling traffic predictions. Of course Google's la…

Can't believe I'm on this side of the debate, but at what point are we asking too much for free? Google provide Maps for free to an incredible accuracy and value. Unlike Apple, the user is welcome to use any other app, and yet chooses to use Google Maps. You could maybe argue that Google Maps is part of a package you bought the phone for, but realistically I think the solution is Google are just open about the use of…

> Can't believe I'm on this side of the debate, but at what point are we asking too much for free?

You act like it's consumers moving the line. It's Google. Massively profitable for a long time now, Google. Your argument is that if we resist Google's ever-advancing march deeper into our privacy, that we consumers are the ones who are changing things, making things unfair to poor Google.

Re: Google Maps now requires WiFi scanning to use navigation

#155

Post by Klonoar »

moritonal wrote: post #126
dessant wrote: post #86

Refusing service when the user does not consent to non-essential data sharing is illegal in the EU, and it also breaches Google Play's developer agreement. WiFi scanning is not essential to navigate with an app, and the least they could do to follow the law is to gracefully degrade the service if the user does not consent to share data about nearby devices, such as disabling traffic predictions. Of course Google's la…

Can't believe I'm on this side of the debate, but at what point are we asking too much for free? Google provide Maps for free to an incredible accuracy and value. Unlike Apple, the user is welcome to use any other app, and yet chooses to use Google Maps. You could maybe argue that Google Maps is part of a package you bought the phone for, but realistically I think the solution is Google are just open about the use of…

>Unlike Apple, the user is welcome to use any other app,

This part of your comment makes no sense to me - how do Apple users not have choice in maps apps...?

Re: Google Maps now requires WiFi scanning to use navigation

#157

Post by fatboy »

cush wrote: post #125

If you have an iPhone and haven't been using Apple Maps, it's basically on par now with Google Maps for navigation. I hadn't tried Apple Maps for years because of how bad it used to be, and was pleasantly surprised to find the maps are incredibly accurate and turn by turn navigation is rock solid. I haven't touched Google Maps in months, and this post is reminding me that it's time to just uninstall it

Are you in the US? I've found it pretty ropey in Europe every time I try to ween myself off Google maps.

Another benefit of Apple maps is that it gets preferential treatment from the os in that it appears on the lock screen when navigating (I really wish this api was open to third parties). This is nice for navigation on foot.

Re: Google Maps now requires WiFi scanning to use navigation

#158

Post by Klonoar »

mint2 wrote: post #149
cush wrote: post #125

If you have an iPhone and haven't been using Apple Maps, it's basically on par now with Google Maps for navigation. I hadn't tried Apple Maps for years because of how bad it used to be, and was pleasantly surprised to find the maps are incredibly accurate and turn by turn navigation is rock solid. I haven't touched Google Maps in months, and this post is reminding me that it's time to just uninstall it

Apple Maps has better integration with my 2020 Subaru so I switched. It has some features that are more advanced than google, like the voice telling what to do next or advance rather than just immediately before. It’s still rather bad about explorative searching for businesses/restaurants and getting accurate hours, so sometimes I’ll find a place using google maps and then put it into Apple Maps.

>It’s still rather bad about explorative searching for businesses/restaurants

That it just pipes Yelp results infuriates me every time I deal with it, as I refuse to sign up for Yelp.

Re: Google Maps now requires WiFi scanning to use navigation

#159

Post by LoveGracePeace »

beermonster wrote: post #31

So how about OsmAnd[0] ? Supports fully offline mobile navigation. [0] https://osmand.net/

We like OsmAnd+ a lot, we use Maps too but always keep OsmAnd+ loaded in case we need it. It does use a lot of storage but it's worth it.

Re: Google Maps now requires WiFi scanning to use navigation

#160

Post by seqastian »

Youden wrote: post #139
moritonal wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can't believe I'm on this side of the debate, but at what point are we asking too much for free? Google provide Maps for free to an incredible accuracy and value. Unlike Apple, the user is welcome to use any other app, and yet chooses to use Google Maps. You could maybe argue that Google Maps is part of a package you bought the phone for, but realistically I think the solution is Google are just open about the use of…

Google Maps doesn't make money using wifi data. It makes money the way it always does: through ads [0,1]. [0]: https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/7040605?hl=en [1]: https://ads.google.com/hotels/

They can sell ads better if they know where you are. Wifi data is making that every easy and battery saving to track.
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