Although Google Maps and Waze are the most popular GPS navigators in general and for Android Auto in particular, the truth is that there are very interesting alternatives. In fact, we tested them live to determine. which GPS navigators are worth it.

So you can check out our competent TomTom Go analysis, Here WeGo’s striking interface and satellite view, or its virtues like Sygic’s 3D maps. If we talk about offline browsers, the simplicity of applications such as Maps.me or Magic Earth comes to the fore. We tested another browser for Android Auto that can be used offline and these were our results.

What is OsmAnd and how does it work?

As we said in the introduction, OsmAnd is an application. offline GPS navigation and also open sourceWith all the advantages this entails, such as very careful data management with the user (it does not collect them and is open to use, allowing you to easily maintain control). Likewise, it does not contain advertising.

The maps are the most complete I have ever seen. and since they get their cartography from the OpenStreetMap project, the almighty Google has little to envy in terms of information.

The application is available for free on the Google Play Store, so if we want it to be on Android Auto, we will first have to download it to our mobile. But it doesn’t end there: once you enter and grant minimum and basic permissions such as location, map download menu. It doesn’t take very long, but for my analysis (I used the app to travel from Madrid to Pamplona) I needed to download these for Madrid, Castilla y León, La Rioja and Navarra.

Obviously the bad thing is that these maps take up some space (not excessive), but in their favor we will have cartography no matter whatIt seems like there are connection issues or we don’t have data (it can be used outside the state as it has maps of Europe and other continents).

I want to emphasize this A super complete appBoth for the number of maps and other extra services, as there are travel guides, real-time traffic and even weather. Although most are free, there is also a subscription version with backup and restore feature, but you can skip paying for a great experience.

We are on the road with OsmAnd in Android Auto

A suggestion: before you start your journey It is recommended that you add your home to the ‘Favorites’ section. To speed up usage. Although the touch keyboard appears on the screen, it is faster to enter it from your mobile phone in advance.

When you open the app in Android Auto, we find the interface you see above, with buttons for zooming and centering the map, the usual cog for settings, and a magnifying glass for adding the destination from there. At the design level, It looks very classic and functionalwithout much frills or complications.

There is also a menu on the left with options for ‘Free travel’, ‘History’ with previous searches, places of interest, ‘Favorites’, ‘Marks on Map’ and ‘Track’ to simply view the map. It is worth noting that this application is not only useful on the road, but is also a good option for moving on foot, especially in nature, and doing adventure sports.

for you Such a classic design, it’s not much of a mystery to use it: you tap the magnifying glass, type in the destination, and from there you’ll see suggested routes, so you can choose one and start navigating. There are three useful extras: a speedometer (an animated widget that appears when you’re in motion), voice alerts so you don’t have to pay attention to the screen, and a view switch between 2D and 3D, though to be honest it’s not very successful.

Although I found the maps detailed and clear, Cartography design needs improvement being more visual with colors that overload the experience. I liked that it worked smoothly (yes, with a moderately powerful and new mobile phone) and that there were no problems in tunnels or places with poor coverage.

In fully guided navigation, in addition to the pointer, you will find two extra speech bubbles: one contains general information about the journey, the other is larger and more colorful and contains the step-by-step route. Convenience is undoubtedly one of its greatest virtues.

What caught my attention is the sparsity of settings in the Android Auto version (mobile is another matter), so What you see in practice is what’s there. Million dollar question: Do you have radar warning? Yes, you need to activate it from mobile settings in order for the ones that appear in the OSM database, that is, landlines, to be visible.

OsmAnd on Android Auto: results

After trying OsmAnd on Android Auto, I found it to be a good alternative. I liked the comprehensive nature of his cartography.Although its design is not the most modern in the world. I think it’s a great option to get from point A to point B seamlessly due to the simplicity of its interface.

In this sense, it is a great application for anyone who wants a reliable browser with good privacy managementand people who use mobile phones at a basic level and have low data speeds.

Knowing what the traffic is like can’t rival the Waze community or Google Maps’ real-time calculations, and maybe Not very visually pleasing or strikingbut avoiding ads and data collection is something to keep in mind.

Should I leave Google Maps and Waze for OsmAnd? No, real-time updates are very important to me and the Waze interface helps me a lot to avoid making mistakes, but this is a personal matter.

Cover | Eva Rodríguez de Luis

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