Overview & Technical Summary
Free offline navigation app
Navigation has come a long way since the rise of smartphones. Nowadays, anyone—driving, walking, and taking public transit—can get around any city through the use of various
satellite GPS
apps. Some are even free and work offline.
MAPS.ME
is a
free
navigation
app that works
entirely offline
. This app promises to provide users with
turn-by-turn navigation
to any city in the world.
Top Recommended Alternative
Opera
Ad
Free
4.2
Kiwix offline
Free
5
Unreliable navigation
Unlike other apps of similar services, such as
Google Maps
and
Waze
, MAPS.ME works offline. You can search for your destination and get
GPS
navigation without an internet connection. Moreover, you can get
optimized maps
to effectively save memory space. The app relies on
OpenStreetMap
for its mapping data, which is an open-source alternative to popular map services. It is
updated by contributors daily
, so you are sure to get an updated map for your everyday use.
More than the usual search of particular addresses, MAPS.ME also gives you directions to some points of interest (POIs), hiking trails, and places not usually shown in other maps. You can search through
different categories
, such as restaurants, cafes, and tourist attractions. On top of that, the app
works with Booking.com
. With this, you can make hotel bookings directly from the app. You can also connect to your social media and
share your locations
.
MAPS.ME offers detailed information. Using the app, you can
check traffic situations
and get the fastest driving routes. As an added help, it shows you whether the way is uphill or downhill when you are cycling or walking. However, before thinking of downloading the app, you should note that the app is known for its
unreliable service
. The app sometimes forces you to
detour
and can even cause you to miss turnoffs due to
poor setup
. It also doesn’t help that the app is
prone to crashing
.
Look for something better
Looking at the features, MAPS.ME would have been a good alternative to popular GPS apps. It is free to use and works offline, every time. However, the app is very unreliable that it is
not advisable to use
, especially if you are new to the city. The app crashes often and provides unverified routing that you might end up getting lost. If you need help in navigation, you can
look for better options
.