MAPS.ME v15.9.71735-googleRelease

Free offline navigation app

Navigation has come a long way since the rise of smartphones. Nowadays, anyone—driving, walking, and taking public transit—can get around any city through the use of varioussatellite GPSapps. Some are even free and work offline.MAPS.MEis afreenavigationapp that worksentirely offline. This app promises to provide users withturn-by-turn navigationto any city in the world.

Unreliable navigation

Unlike other apps of similar services, such asGoogle MapsandWaze, MAPS.ME works offline. You can search for your destination and getGPS navigationwithout an internet connection. Moreover, you can getoptimized mapsto effectively save memory space. The app relies onOpenStreetMapfor its mapping data, which is an open-source alternative to popular map services. It isupdated by contributors daily, so you are sure to get an updated map for your everyday use.

More than the usual search of particular addresses, MAPS.ME also gives you directions to some points of interest (POIs), hiking trails, and places not usually shown in other maps. You can search throughdifferent categories, such as restaurants, cafes, and tourist attractions. On top of that, the appworks with Booking.com. With this, you can make hotel bookings directly from the app. You can also connect to your social media andshare your locations.

MAPS.ME offers detailed information. Using the app, you cancheck traffic situationsandget the fastest driving routes. As an added help, it shows you whether the way is uphill or downhill when you are cycling or walking. However, before thinking of downloading the app, you should note that the app is known for itsunreliable service. The app sometimes forces you todetourand can even cause you to miss turnoffs due topoor setup. It also doesn’t help that the app isprone to crashing.

Look for something better

Looking at the features, MAPS.ME would have been a good alternative to popular GPS apps. It is free to use and works offline, every time. However, the app is very unreliable that it isnot advisable to use, especially if you are new to the city. The app crashes often and provides unverified routing that you might end up getting lost. If you need help in navigation, you canlook for better options.