Navigation App missing after Google Maps Update

Does it have sound? I'm a total nazi about not looking at my phone while I'm driving so I relied heavily on the navigation voice.

Yes, it has the same voice directions as the old version. It can be turned on or off.

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For the most part, I think the new Maps works fine for what I use it for - which is mostly casual navigation a couple of times a week. As a matter of fact, I'm starting to like it more than the previous version. It might be my imagination but this update is a lot smoother and quicker to respond to touch inputs. Very smooth zooming and panning.

That all said, I did find a couple of missing features. Granted these were both from the "Labs" options but I found them really useful. The 2 things I miss are the scale bar and the measuring tool. Both are good for getting ballpark estimates of distances on a zoomed out map. Perfect for long, random motorcycle rides with no destination in mind. With the scale bar and measuring tool, I could figure out if I had enough gas to make to where-ever in a short amount of time. That's not possible now, at least from what I've discovered.

The other thing that would be nice to have is a tap-able step-by-step list when in Nav mode. The list is available but tapping on a step in the route does nothing. It would be neat to have the nav map pan/zoom to that point and offer the option to Streetview it. I'm thinking this might have been available in the previous version but I can't be sure.
 
The other thing that would be nice to have is a tap-able step-by-step list when in Nav mode. The list is available but tapping on a step in the route does nothing. It would be neat to have the nav map pan/zoom to that point and offer the option to Streetview it. I'm thinking this might have been available in the previous version but I can't be sure.


This is still available in the new Maps.
Tap the top info bar that shows the next turn.
An arrow ">", appears on the right hand side.
As you tap that arrow the map jumps to the next turn, so you can go through the entire route by continually tapping the, >

Sent from my M470BSA
 
There've been a lot of post with people saying that the two programs have been the same app, however, the two are very different in the way they function. Navigation had a large, clear orthographic view, street names were easily readable, traffic indications were bold and distinct, two touches could reroute, three could turn off highways or toll ways. Also, in my case, I often did not use Navigation for point to point routing, usually when I got into the car or on the bike, I'd simply turn it on and run it in map mode. This let me easily see street names and intersections without having to put in a destination, again, in an easily readable orthographic display that scaled based on speed.
People also have said that everything in Navigation is still there in Maps..it isn't. Maps can do an orthographic mode, but the street names are tiny and can't be easily read with a glance, if you want to pull over every time you want to see what a side street is that doesn't have a sign, more power to you. Also, it's following when I experimented with it was very choppy, and always slanted at about a 45 degree angle to direction of travel. As mentioned before, traffic indication is now tiny and subtle, if you're mostly color blind like I am, it's another thing that's useless when driving.
I liked the navigation application, it was smooth, reliable, cached route data for a trip so that it would run without network if you already had a route planned, and it was free. I also figured that if data was being pulled directly from the network, you'd always have the most up to date information available (though, honestly, I have no idea how often they update on the server side). It was an application that I literally used every day, when I got into the car or on the bike, I'd pop the phone into the cradle, start up music, and start up Navigation. I'm annoyed that an application that I relied upon was pulled out of the blue. True, I wasn't paying for it, but I relied on it. Now, I am searching for two things, a new GPS app with similar features, I have no problem paying for a program that will do what I need, but Navigation was one of the best out there for quite a while, it was hard to find a smooth scrolling GPS app.
Anyway, my point is that the two programs are NOT the same, actually, they're not really even similar in a lot of ways aside from being map and routing programs, and for the people who used it, there's a great amount of functionality suddenly lost no matter how much you play with the new application. (And yes, I'm looking at the people who, in all caps no less, have said the two are the same application and seem to be suggesting that people just can't figure out how to use it.)
 
Thank you! This helped both my husband and I that both had updates on vacation and lost our navigation that we love in addition to the local app we both use often too!

Much appreciated!
 
Can't use addresses of contacts? Sure you can!

In the search bar on the Maps app, if I start typing the name of a contact (e.g., "Steve"), by the time I get to the "v" I see a list of every name in my contact DB that starts with "Stev". If I keep typing it narrows the list down. When I see the contact I want, all I have to do is tap it and the address is populated into the maps search bar, the location of that address centered in the map, and a navigation icon at the bottom right of the screen.
 
After using the new Maps on my tablet for awhile, I'm finding all the places they've changed where you find things on the new Maps.


Navigate icon>
On the search bar there are two icons on the right side.

First is a curved arrow: this brings up a list of all your recent destinations and searches. Tap one of them and the navigation page pops up.

Second icon is a Head and Shoulders: This brings up a list of all your Starred Places.
The first card is Nearby Starred Places. These depend on where the location dot is on the map, it changes with your location.
The second card is recently saved locations.
Tap "View All" and the entire list of your Starred Places pops up.
Tap one of them and Navigation pops up.

To Step through the turns of your route>
When in Navigation, tap the bar that shows the next turn on the top of the map.
An Arrow appears on the right side of the bar, tap this to step through your route.

When in Navigation>
Tap the three stacked periods on the bottom right.
An option box pops up, with Mute, Route review, Step by Step List, Satellite View.

Tap the bar on the bottom, and the bottom bar cycles through> Time left, Estimated arrival time, Miles left.

Tap the X on the bottom bar to exit to navigation

Local Icon (Places) >
Just tap the search bar, and in the card that pops up has the Local Icons.

To change the direction of travel shown on the map.
It's just like the old map, tap the Compass arrow top right.
And it changes from direction of travel to due North

My apologies to everyone who has figured this out.
But a lot of people are still confused.
Sent from my M470BSA
 
Last edited:
Can't use addresses of contacts? Sure you can!

In the search bar on the Maps app, if I start typing the name of a contact (e.g., "Steve"), by the time I get to the "v" I see a list of every name in my contact DB that starts with "Stev". If I keep typing it narrows the list down. When I see the contact I want, all I have to do is tap it and the address is populated into the maps search bar, the location of that address centered in the map, and a navigation icon at the bottom right of the screen.

Thanks, that's one of the many things I left off my list :)


Sent from my M470BSA
 
This is still available in the new Maps.
Tap the top info bar that shows the next turn.
An arrow ">", appears on the right hand side.
As you tap that arrow the map jumps to the next turn, so you can go through the entire route by continually tapping the, >

Sent from my M470BSA

I noticed this too while fiddling with Maps the other day. I was hoping you could use the Step-by-Step list to access arbitrary waypoints and use streetview to get an idea of what you'd be seeing at that point on your route. The old Map/Nav apps had this feature. I vaguely remember using it a couple of times in an unfamiliar city to take a look at a highway interchange or complex intersection. I just booted up my old Droid Incredible and confirmed that the old apps had this capability.

Hopefully Google will add this feature back.
 
Uninstalled update... Life is good now.. Sometimes change is not a good idea

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IT'S NOT MISSING!!! Click on Google Maps... enter your destination... and it will navigate you!

It's not missing but it's not as good as it was. I uninstalled the update. Didn't care for the new version, terrible to see in my dock.
 
I had to go in and uninstall updates on the Googles Maps which is connected with the Navagation app and now it is working great.
 
Can't use addresses of contacts? Sure you can!

In the search bar on the Maps app, if I start typing the name of a contact (e.g., "Steve"), by the time I get to the "v" I see a list of every name in my contact DB that starts with "Stev". If I keep typing it narrows the list down. When I see the contact I want, all I have to do is tap it and the address is populated into the maps search bar, the location of that address centered in the map, and a navigation icon at the bottom right of the screen.

Thanks. Unfortunately, when I tired to use the updated app the first time I was on a trip and did not have time to play with it so I uninstalled it.
Now if google would only FIX the app so it would not CRASH EVERY TIME I try to speak the names in my contact list. That would make the app MUCH more useful for me.
 

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