It’s not that there is a huge variety of map applications for Android Auto, the list is quite small; with two clear kings who reign over the rest, especially because of their advantageous position: Google Maps and Waze make up the usual pair of GPS navigators. Are you looking for a good alternative that you can also use in the car? Organic Maps is my favorite. And it has some advantages over its competitors.
Opening Google Maps on an Android mobile is the most common and convenient thing to do whenever we face a route, although it is not the only valid application to guide us from one point to another. It was the first to offer a completely free GPS navigation system. And from Maps came other options, such as Waze; which ended up being bought by Google. Are there good alternatives beyond this Alphabet-owned duo? And there are so many.
Organic Maps is free, open source and you can download the maps
This application has various aspects, since it is very oriented towards bike tours and mountain walks. All without losing sight of the driver of cars and other motor vehicles, who Organic Maps is equally valid while driving. An example of this is that it offers compatibility with Android Auto, with everything that this entails.
Thanks to the features included in Organic Maps, which end up being transferred to the use of the application on Android Auto, it is possible have all maps downloaded to your phone so as not to have to fight creating offline zones, as happens with Google Maps. That I want to avoid problems and maintain point-to-point guidance even in areas without coverage? Organic Maps, combined with Android Auto, solve the problem perfectly.
That is the function that I like the most about the app, being able to download the maps. It is not the only app that offers this and that, in addition, is compatible with Android Auto, Here WeGo meets both premises. Still, I prefer Organic Maps for other added points. As they are:
- Organic Maps allows some customization from the car console. Apart from the route options (admit tolls, highways…), Organic gives you the choice of night mode and even an adjustment to make the font size on the screen larger. It seems silly, but it makes the map much easier to read.
- It has no ads. In Google Maps and Waze there are many companies that stand out from the rest as advertisements, the complete opposite of what happens in Organic Maps. The application uses Open Street Map maps.
- The interface is quite clear when navigating the car. Open Street Maps doesn’t offer a very modern look on the smartphone, although I do like it when it makes the jump to Android Auto. The guidance is comfortable and the layout and instructions are well appreciated. In terms of TTS, I do opt for Google Maps: the assistant is the voice that I like the most of all.
- It can save a lot of battery. It is not that a GPS navigator is efficient, especially since the screen must be on, although Organic Maps has an added option that allows you to save consumption without losing the route. The setting is located in the settings menu.
- It is open source. That an application has its code available to users, and to developers who wish to make improvements to the app, seems very positive to me. And it is an added value to the software.
It is not nearly as complete as Google Maps nor does it have the important social layer that Waze boasts. In return, Organic Maps offers offline download of maps to navigate anywhere knowing that the indications are not going to disappear; apart from other functions that, at least in my case, are very interesting. For me it is an application to take into account.
Organic Maps: Go Bike Pilot
Browse with privacy – open source and community driven
Cover image | Ivan Linares