Navigation App missing after Google Maps Update

[FishenFool]

Instead of hitting my apps in play store you need to go into settings in the play store.

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[Irony58]

Any other solution to stop the auto-updating?

You need to disable all autoupdating through the Google Play store, in Settings.

 

[Marc Jellinek]

Yeah, because I love hunting through a device for things that were previously easy to find.

It's kinda like when I get into my car to go to work and the steering wheel isn't where I left it. It adds a level of excitement to my drab and lonely life to find out that gremlins snuck into my car and that I now steer using the spare tire like a trackball.

At least when Google dropped Chat for Hangouts, they were pretty clear about it.

NET: It's a feature.

 

[Irony58]

I've seen mostly negative opinions to the update, a couple positive, and some who say, "Stop whining and just get used to it". Personally, I see whining, especially from those with specific points, should be beneficial to Google. Google's marketplace is very different from the traditional. The users are not their direct customers. We get these products for free. They make billions indirectly through ads, so on the surface it would seem that if a bunch of users stop using a product their bottom line wouldn't be affected. But that shouldn't excuse Google from being responsive to customer requests. Some of those billion$ were used to make those Maps "improvements". Software engineers don't come cheap. It would be in Google's best interest to make sure those resources are used efficiently. I'm sure they know that, otherwise Google Reader would still be up and running. So I feel that somewhere, somehow, Google is listening. They're slower, and seemingly more arrogant, than Microsoft to respond, but I'm hoping that if enough people "whine" about features they're missing, they may get to it in time.

For those who do like the new Maps, and I actually like the new look, it probably wouldn't hurt to be specific about it. The same for those who would like improvements.

One more specific improvement, related to the easy, one-press, entry into Nav - Bring back the easy exit. I often use the Nav to find the best way home from an unfamiliar place. As soon as I recognize my surrounding and how to get home, I exit Nav to save battery. The old way was to press Return, and then "Exit" when it asked if I wanted to end navigation. Now I have to hit a bunch of returns to exit all the way out of Maps in order to get the battery-hogging GPS to turn off.

 

[Kilroy13]

I don't mean to come across as overly harsh but if folks would just take a few minutes to either a) explore the new Maps or b) read a few posts in this thread, the signal-to-noise ratio in this discussion would be vastly improved.

I honestly thought most of the people complaining about the "missing" Navigation app were trolling here but now it's looking more like a symptom of the instant-gratification, self-entitled mindset seen way too often these days.

Today's smartphone is a true miracle of modern technology. Approach it as such and take a few minutes to try to figure things out on your own. If you take into account all of a smartphone's capabilities, the learning curve of these things is really not that steep.

I agree with this statement!

TAPATALKIN FROM MY HTC ONE, USING THE NOW NETWORK!

 

[DrHitch]

When Google updates any app, or rolls-over the operating system it would be really nice to receive a text or e-mail that this is happening! My Android device has gone through numerous O/S changes unbeknownst to me. It's like re-arranging the furniture on a blind person. So, when the "Navigation" app totally disappeared it is NOT 100% intuitive to go "Oh, I guess I'll switch over to the "maps" application. They should have let the navigation icon on-screen with a simple note that said "Navigation has been replaced by Maps"....Google G-mail also updated itself with a completely new user interface and menu structure, which is hugely un-nerving.

 

[Michael Vieux]

When Google updates any app, or rolls-over the operating system it would be really nice to receive a text or e-mail that this is happening! My Android device has gone through numerous O/S changes unbeknownst to me. It's like re-arranging the furniture on a blind person. So, when the "Navigation" app totally disappeared it is NOT 100% intuitive to go "Oh, I guess I'll switch over to the "maps" application. They should have let the navigation icon on-screen with a simple note that said "Navigation has been replaced by Maps"....Google G-mail also updated itself with a completely new user interface and menu structure, which is hugely un-nerving.

Do you have Google Play set to auto update?
Maps, Gmail, any Google app I use hasn't updated itself automatically.
I received a notification that a new version was available.
I could go on Google Play, and read what the changes were, then decide if I wanted to update the app.





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[lexcorvus]

You may not mean it, but you do come across as overly harsh. I've been using Android for several years now, and there has always been a separate Navigation app as far as I can recall. Indeed, I used it more than Maps, and it was on the permanent toolbar of my Nexus 4. Then it disappeared. WTF? This is a major change in the navigation UI, and the resulting confusion isn't the result of stupidity or "the instant-gratification, self-entitled mindset seen way too often these days"; it's the result of a reasonable expectation being violated.

 

[Hajimasabi]

My Maps was available prior to the update by tapping the "layers" button. MyMaps was an option within layers. Here's a link to the Google help for the previously available functionality.
https://support.google.com/gmm/answer/1650266?hl=en

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

 

[sixty_four]

You may not mean it, but you do come across as overly harsh. I've been using Android for several years now, and there has always been a separate Navigation app as far as I can recall. Indeed, I used it more than Maps, and it was on the permanent toolbar of my Nexus 4. Then it disappeared. WTF? This is a major change in the navigation UI, and the resulting confusion isn't the result of stupidity or "the instant-gratification, self-entitled mindset seen way too often these days"; it's the result of a reasonable expectation being violated.

In that quote, I'm not referring to the backlash received by the unannounced disappearance of the Navigation icon. I'm with you on that. I feel drastic changes (ex. Google Reader sunset, Hangouts replacing Talk) should be communicated clearly and with reasonable lead time. 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.

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?"

 

[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.