To taste, colors. And applications for different needs. Fortunately, there is a large list of apps compatible with Android Auto, and the number continues to grow over time. Speaking of navigation apps for Android Auto, my favorite for real-time updates and community is Waze, above even the ubiquitous Google Maps. If you are looking for a simple and reliable navigation app to get from point A to point B seamlessly on Android AutoYou have a good candidate here.

It’s called Maps.me, and while it has a clearer interface and fewer options (which ultimately makes it easier to use), Stands out because it only offers offline browsingThis is not only a problem for planned trips, but also eliminates possible interruptions, skips or outright failures for places where the connection is bad or we do not have data (e.g. abroad) or we simply do not have it. Maybe we want to spend because our fee is set.

Maps.me: what is it, how does it work and what does it offer in Android Auto?

As we mentioned in the introduction, Maps.me is a simple navigation application that works with offline maps. It’s also completely free and available for both Android and iOS. The database from which cartography is obtained is OpenStreetMap. reliability, update and coverage guaranteeBecause it is an open and collaborative project.

To use Maps.me, simply download the app to your mobile phone and with Android Auto the icon will already be ready to use when you get into your car because yes: it is compatible with Google infotainment. Of course, you can use it in the car or on your mobile phone, but not both at the same time, although downloads and calls are preserved (a logical thing, on the other hand, because Android Auto is still a reflection of what we have on our mobile phone). So if you want you can Find the route in advance and download the map to have at hand later. Or do it while getting in the car.

Why is this an app I would recommend to my dad? Frankly, this recommendation is comprehensive for people who are not very technologically savvy or who do not want to clutter themselves with option-filled apps while traveling. Here you enter the destination, the app guides you step by step and there’s very little left.

When you look at the screen above these lines, you notice a few things: how well the route looks on the map, the clarity of the indicators in capital letters, and finally, how points of interest are marked to help you navigate. and you won’t see any adjustments anywhere…

…as long as you don’t touch the screen. Unless you do that, its interface is the clearest and most intuitive I’ve ever tried.. Because some of them appear when you touch the screen: zoom in or out on the map, change the route, enable or disable the volume, end the journey, save the screen (ideal for forwarding later) and enter a gear in the settings.

But I’m already telling you this adjustments are quite sparse, focuses on visual and possible deviations: three map styles, two color themes to mark the route in green or blue, perspective and deviation configuration. This last point is where I was disappointed, because beyond the easy-to-understand ‘End’, the options are not translated when entering this screen, so they appear in English (e.g. the option to avoid the toll or toll roads).

Beyond this half-translation of settings that don’t actually change very often, everything else Designed to make the experience as easy as possible. Of course, there is something to emphasize about working with offline maps: we will not be able to get real-time information about traffic jams or incidents on the road. But it effortlessly fulfills its mission of getting us from point A to point B.

Maps.me

MAPS.ME: Offline GPS Navigation

Download for free

Cover | Own it with Maps.me

Xataka on Android | I used Magic Earth with Android Auto on a trip and will never play again: I still prefer Waze and Google Maps