Navigation apps are one of the categories of apps that every smartphone user should have on their smartphone. It’s a necessity, and it’s best to have them stored in your phone because you won’t know the exact time you’ll need them. Gone are the days when we used physical maps to be able to go from point A to B, as with technological advances, we can just open an app that will guide us to our new destination!
In this article, we’ve collated the best navigation apps for iOS users. Take note though that all of the map apps listed here are also available on Android. Navigation apps have transformed from the simple map apps that we use from a decade ago. Now, they give us the best routes and directions, but some also can let us discover new places. Here are the best navigation apps to download if you have an iPhone:
Maps.me
What sets Maps me apart from other navigation apps is that it has one of the most trustworthy offline app features among the ones listed here. It’s a simple app to navigate, you just have to put in where you want to go, wait for the maps to download, and voila – the app gives you route recommendations, bus times, and traffic information.
This is the perfect app when you are planning to go off the grid. When you’re trekking, or traveling to a far-flung place where you’re not sure if you can get a decent cellular service, downloading Maps me offline maps beforehand will save you a lot of trouble. The app also has a travel guide for at least 600 cities, so wherever you go, Maps.me certainly got you covered. The best part? It’s free to download!
Apple Maps
Apple’s native map app, Apple Maps is a study of simplicity. While it has been embroiled in quite the controversy because of the lack of basic features a few years back, Apple has since made it sure that the next updates address those concerns. The latest iteration of Apple Maps is now at par with Google Maps and Waze, when compared feature per feature.
What’s great about Apple Maps is that it’s very intuitive – it learns you’re home, the frequent routes you take, the time you take them, and the places you usually go to. Then it builds from there to recommend alternative routes when the usual route you take has a lot of traffic. The more you use it on your daily commute, the more the app attunes itself to how to make life more convenient for you. Apple Maps comes as the default app to all iPhones and iOS devices.
Google Maps
Arguably the best all-around navigation app on the planet today, Google Maps is constantly updated for better navigation around the world. It’s also the most downloaded map app in the world, so there’s no question that you should give it a try. Like Maps.me, Google Maps also has an offline map feature, and although it’s static, it’s as detailed as a map should be.
When used online, Google Maps gives you recommendations on places to go, restaurants to eat, and hotels to stay. It aggregates reviews on places as well, so you can readily decide on what to eat, where to stay, and what place to explore right inside the app itself. It’s free to download on iOS but you need to have a separate Google mail account to access it.
Takeaway
Having one or two navigation apps on standby is one of the most important things that you can download on any of your smart devices. They’re essentials, which means that you need to have them just in case. So download one of the listed recommendations above and see for yourself the convenience of navigation apps. Use them the next time you drive!
