[sixty_four]

Yes! I remember carefully mapping out some nice rides in the twistier roads around central Texas using this feature. I didn't have a way to reliably mount my phone on my bike at the time but I was able to reference my routes during gas or bathroom stops.

[Irony58]

Even still, it's tough to argue that Google dropped the ball on the new Maps release since they've always made it clear that Navigation is a beta product.

Actually, not so clear. If you look at their Maps website, Google Mobile Maps, the word "beta" doesn't appear anywhere, especially not in their Turn-by-turn Navigation description. And if you click Download to get to their Google Play page, no mention of beta there, either. It does seem like their developers operate with a perpetual beta mentality, but since Maps is installed automatically on every Android phone out there, which could easily number in the billions, it should be about time for their most heavily touted software to grow up.

Don't get me wrong - I've been a Google fan since they were just a search engine. Their quirky upstart nature was fun - in the beginning. "Don't be evil" is a great dig at Microsoft. The products that have succeeded have done so because they were just plain better than anything else, and the previous version of Nav was no exception. Even this updated version is better in many respects. I just feel they didn't consider how people use the Navigation function when they made the latest update. And now that it gets automatically pushed to almost everyone in the world, I will argue that they dropped the ball.

[jasbir Bindra]

Every thing is upgraded & intigrated to Google map. Please explore

[verizon lover]

YES same thing happen to me I have a htc dna ...i want it back!!!!!!

[Aquila]

Actually, not so clear. If you look at their Maps website, Google Mobile Maps, the word "beta" doesn't appear anywhere, especially not in their Turn-by-turn Navigation description. And if you click Download to get to their Google Play page, no mention of beta there, either. It does seem like their developers operate with a perpetual beta mentality, but since Maps is installed automatically on every Android phone out there, which could easily number in the billions, it should be about time for their most heavily touted software to grow up.

It was a popup that required an "accept" to continue when you opened the navigation functionality for the first time.

[meyerweb#CB]

I use MyMaps for fastest routing of multiple destinations and really want to see that functionality come back.

YES same thing happen to me I have a htc dna ...i want it back!!!!!!

As has been repeated over and over in this thread, simply uninstall the update, and you'll have the old mapping apps, including navigation, back. Then make sure you turn off automatic app updates in the play store to make sure it doesn't get updated again.

[sixty_four]

Actually, not so clear. If you look at their Maps website, Google Mobile Maps, the word "beta" doesn't appear anywhere, especially not in their Turn-by-turn Navigation description. And if you click Download to get to their Google Play page, no mention of beta there, either. It does seem like their developers operate with a perpetual beta mentality, but since Maps is installed automatically on every Android phone out there, which could easily number in the billions, it should be about time for their most heavily touted software to grow up.

Dialog box when using Navigation for the first time:



Clicking "How to get started" in Maps help takes you here:



To me, this is pretty clear.

Don't get me wrong - I've been a Google fan since they were just a search engine. Their quirky upstart nature was fun - in the beginning. "Don't be evil" is a great dig at Microsoft. The products that have succeeded have done so because they were just plain better than anything else, and the previous version of Nav was no exception. Even this updated version is better in many respects. I just feel they didn't consider how people use the Navigation function when they made the latest update. And now that it gets automatically pushed to almost everyone in the world, I will argue that they dropped the ball.

It didn't get pushed to any of my devices automatically. I reviewed the changes before manually updating Maps.

[Irony58]

Dialog box when using Navigation for the first time:

Clicking "How to get started" in Maps help takes you here:

To me, this is pretty clear.



It didn't get pushed to any of my devices automatically. I reviewed the changes before manually updating Maps.

I won't debate the semantics of the word "clearly". Way too subjective a term. What's clear to you is clearly, to me, not clear to everyone. And that's really all I'm getting at. There are most likely 100's of millions of people with some version Google Maps on their phones. How many just click through that one-time popup and forget it even existed (me being one of them)? How many even know what "in beta" means? My feeling is that Google has watered down the term to be meaningless.

Maybe it's generational. Once upon a time, "in beta" was called "in beta test", because that's what it was, a test, and what it means to me even today. Here's my recollection of the term:

When a product, not necessarily software, was considered functional enough, it was offered to a small group of people outside the development team. Those people were "beta testers" and were recruited, and well informed of, their function. The expectations were that they would give the development team feedback on flaws, bugs, functionality, etc., before the product was released to the public. The bonus for the testers was they got the product for free. Microsoft redefined it with one of their Windows versions. They widened the scope to the general public and I seem to remember they actually charged for the CDs. The bonus was the thrill of early adoption, the chance to brag to their friends, being part of a big thing, whatever. But they still fully informed the prospective testers that they had a job to do, and also had a cutoff number. It was still considered pre-release and not distributed in stores to anyone with a couple hundred bucks.

Now along comes Google, whose developers are often likely younger than my own kids, and therefore younger than the term "beta test". Some of their software is first released as "invitation only", but at some point becomes available to the world while still "in beta". This is hardly the secondary pre-release that meets the original concept of beta testing. Nobody is recruited for feedback (more on that in a bit), and the only disclosure that the software is in beta is one vague announcement the very first time you run the software. If they were serious in wanting to inform the user, how about the words, "Google Maps Navigation is in beta, and may not be fully functional. Please report any problems using the 'Send feedback' selection in the menu"? It's just text on a popup, so why not be more informational? Or is it there only for legal reasons? If someone uses Navigation and accidentally drives over a cliff, at least Google's lawyers can say, "Hey, it's beta - not our fault" to the next of kin.

So now I'm thinking (hoping) that Google is using a very different method for beta testing. Instead of actively recruiting a small(ish) group of beta testers and expecting a high percentage of feedback, they offer it to billions of users, many unsuspecting. They put in a "Send feedback" function. The strategy is that even if they see 0.1% response through the feedback option, that's still a huge amount of data. And maybe they even cruise the various forums for unsolicited feedback. If that's the case, then even the generic "me, too" comments could be of some use. While they seem annoying on the forum, making up probably 30% of the 250+ comments, they could tell Google that maybe they should have left the Navigation as its own app. And then they'll use advanced software to parse all that feedback and use the data to make the product stronger. Well, I can dream, can't I?

[Irony58]

Folks, it was mentioned way back in some of the first comments that the latest Google Maps update has a "Send feedback" selection that you can get to by pressing on the menu icon on the lower left of the main Maps screen. If you've got strong feelings, positive or negative, about this latest update, I would recommend taking the time use that function. I have no idea if Google uses any of that feedback at all, but it's a better bet they would use that before they read any of these forums. Keep in mind that if Google does use the feedback they won't get back to you if you ask a "how do I do this?" question. It's a one-way street. So be specific and hope for the best.

And one more time - Any "how do I do this?" or "where's my Nav app?" questions have most likely been answered somewhere on this thread. The time to click through all the pages is probably less than the time to type in your question.

[fablis]

Irony58,

That seems reasonable to me.

[meyerweb#CB]

Let's have a pool! How long until the next "My Navigation went away" post in this thread?

[sixty_four]

Or is it there only for legal reasons? If someone uses Navigation and accidentally drives over a cliff, at least Google's lawyers can say, "Hey, it's beta - not our fault" to the next of kin.

In this age of over-litigation and too many people unwilling or unable to think for themselves, this would be my guess.

You make a good point and I tend to agree that Google is using the "beta" term inappropriately in this case. Still, it is software they provide for free to run on devices that tend to be more convenience than necessity so it's hard for me to sympathize with the "Nav is gone!" crowd.

[Michael Vieux]

Let's have a pool! How long until the next "My Navigation went away" post in this thread?

It's already been 54 minutes, so we've seen the old record broken.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using AC Forums mobile app

[Irony58]

It's already been 54 minutes, so we've seen the old record broken.

Don't encourage them!

[Irony58]

Still, it is software they provide for free to run on devices that tend to be more convenience than necessity so it's hard for me to sympathize with the "Nav is gone!" crowd.

I hear what you're saying. Navigation, in general, is a convenience. We did just fine back in the day with paper maps, handwritten directions, and "where the heck are you?" calls from phone booths. And I was never into the "guy thing" by avoiding asking for directions at some gas station. But it sure is one heck of a convenience, a tool, really. I see no problem in doing what I can to make it better. It's in Google's best interest to put out software that people find useful, even if they give it out free. It's in our best interests to have that tool be as useful as possible. I realize that complaining on a forum is most probably futile, but that's not a 100% probability. If nobody complains, then there's no way Google will know if they're spending in the right places. As Wayne Gretzky said, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take".

**EDIT - Sixty-four, I was perusing some back comments and came across yours,

I was referring to the people unwilling to take ten or fifteen minutes to read and think for themselves before blindly posting yet another "I updated Maps and now Navigation is gone. What do I do now?"

On that I completely agree. It's one thing to try to send a message to Google. It's another to tack on that "What do I do now?" when it's been answered ad nauseum only a few mouse clicks away.

[meyerweb#CB]

And I was never into the "guy thing" by avoiding asking for directions at some gas station.

Unfortunately, these days, you're likely to find someone who knows less about the area than you do.

[flacousa]

Here is a weird one, both my tablet and my wife's tablet got the 4.3 over the air updates today, right after the installation we both got a map update; my tablet lost the Nav app but my wife's tablet still has the icon and access to navigation, go figure...

Sent from planet earth

[Ankit Rauthan]

Dude...

You Saved me... blessings

[CR B]

I did the same thing and the new navigation app is terrible. They should tell us before they do stupid things like this! Luckily I was able to remove the update and go back but it goes too far back and traffic is removed in most views. The version of this just before the update isn't available and it was almost perfect. What are they thinking??!!! They need to get rid of some of their programmers that are messing with apps for the fun of it and realize that most users just want it to work!

[Aquila]

I did the same thing and the new navigation app is terrible. They should tell us before they do stupid things like this! Luckily I was able to remove the update and go back but it goes too far back and traffic is removed in most views. The version of this just before the update isn't available and it was almost perfect. What are they thinking??!!! They need to get rid of some of their programmers that are messing with apps for the fun of it and realize that most users just want it to work!

The newest version has approximately 99% of the old functionality, plus 1000% new functionality.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

[sixty_four]

Irony58 will appreciate this story.

While on a recent trip, my wife and I were looking for a restaurant in Reno, NV, a city we're completely unfamiliar with. I remember finding this place the night before on my phone and noticed that there were 2 locations. I swiped through both locations and found that one was permanently closed. I figured, "ok no problem, we'll just navigate to the open one tomorrow."

While on the road, I asked my wife to use her phone to locate the restaurant and get directions. She had updated to the latest version of Maps but had not had a chance to play with it. It's not as simple an operation as it seemed to me, having had played with the new app a few days while lazing around at the house. We ended up at the closed location and she was not able to immediately find a way to route to the other location.

The point of this story - I tend to forget that not everyone enjoys geeking out and fiddling with apps in their spare time like most of the Android enthusiasts here. For these people, and I think most tend to fall in that category, they just want these apps to work as expected. Some of the burden (for lack of a better word) of the transition has to fall on the user who owes it to himself to put in a little effort to figure things out. Most of the burden falls on the development team to provide as seamless a transition as possible for their app's intended audience. I'm not a software developer but I don't think this is an easy task. In my opinion, I think Google has done a good job with this update. The new Maps interface is smoother on my primary device and the look and feel integrates with their whole "Cards" UI design while retaining virtually all functionality of the previous version.

[sixty_four]

...snip...

We did just fine back in the day...

...snip...

It's hard to believe we even made it through life growing up without the Internet, Google, Wikipedia, smartphones, GPS units, huh?

All this stuff sure makes me lazy. Instead of planning ahead, I just pop my phone in my pocket and think, "I'll just look-it-up/call-someone/map-it-out along the way".

[maxineromano]

The same thing happend to me - did you get any responses indicating the reason?

[meyerweb#CB]

The same thing happend to me - did you get any responses indicating the reason?

What thing happened, and what reason are you looking for? I suspect the answer to your question, whatever it is, can be found in the first page or two of this thread.

[sixty_four]

The same thing happend to me - did you get any responses indicating the reason?

No one's quite sure yet but everyone is working non-stop to find the answer!