The free navigation apps for Android should come handy when you are lost. In either case, if you are heading out to a new place that you are unfamiliar with, you’ll need it too. And, nowadays, Android users prefer to use navigation apps to get notified about traffic status where they tend to avoid the slower routes while commuting.
It is best recommended that you choose any one of the best navigation apps for Android. If you depend on multiple navigation applications at the same time, you may end up getting confused to choose the best suitable route of travel.
Also Read: 8 Best Free Holiday Apps to Take with You on Your Holidays
Contents
- 9 Best Free Navigation Apps For Android
- 1. Google Maps – Navigation & Transit
- 2. HERE We Go – Offline Maps & GPS
- 3. Waze – GPS, Maps & Traffic
- 4. MAPS.ME Offline Map+Navigation
- 5. SGPS Navigation & Maps Sygic
- 6. MapFactor GPS Navigation Maps
- 7. Maps & GPS Navigation – OsmAnd
- 8. Polaris Navigation GPS
- 9. MapQuest GPS Navigation & Maps
- The Pro Review from TechReviewPro
In this article, we have listed the best free navigation apps available for Android that you could utilize. Do note that the rankings may differ according to your personal preferences.
Google Maps is the best free navigation app one can have on an Android device. Although it comes pre-installed, you can download it from the Play Store if you don’t have it. Let’s face it; Google offers the biggest database for navigation compared to each of the others mentioned below.
However, everyone has got their own pros and cons, but Google Maps would be the star of the masses. Google Maps lets you download the map of a particular area if you are heading for a place with poor network connectivity. Also, it allows you know the ETA through every route. If there’s heavy traffic, it will suggest you a faster route (if any). Besides, it also offers information about cycle routes.
2. HERE We Go – Offline Maps & GPS
HERE maps, now known to be as “HERE We Go” maps. HERE maps were initially exclusive to Nokia users and also luckily developed by NOKIA as well. The new devices by NOKIA may come with HERE We Go Maps installed to tackle Google Maps from dominating the navigation app market for Android devices.
This app lets you download the map area file of a country as a whole. The offline map data does not expire either. It remains unless you re-install the app or clear app’s data from the Settings menu. HERE We Go map is an effective navigation app for Android considering you live in the US. Of course, it works for any of the countries. But according to the number of active users and demographics, US would be the best one.
3. Waze – GPS, Maps & Traffic
Waze is an interesting yet free navigation app for Android which takes the help of users to improve the accuracy of the results. As you sign up, you will be a “Wazer,” a member who can utilize the map and also contribute something. It refers to the kind of notifications that only users could provide. For instance, if there’s been an accident on the route; you can notify that to other users so that they could either avoid the route or come for help.
The user interface is quite cool and makes it stand out from the rest of the navigation applications available at the Play Store. Well, that being said, Waze offers better real-time traffic because it utilizes the community. If you are in the US, you will find it very useful. However, for other locations, it might be tad useful.
MAPS.ME utilizes Google’s map data to help you navigate. However, some additional features make it worthy to have installed and also one of the best free navigation apps for Android. First, it provides a super fast interface which works on poor Internet connections as well.
If you want, you can import/export bookmarks of your marked locations. So, you never miss them. It’s simpler, isn’t rich as Google Maps but definitely does the job. If you never want to loose your marked locations and you reside at a place with poor Internet connectivity, you can give it a try.
Sygic is one of the best free navigation apps for Android tailored for offline use. And, it is definitely effective at providing the same. When you launch the app, it asks you to choose a storage path to keep the download file. In other words, you need to download the complete map data of a country before you can use it.
Downloading the whole data of a country ensures that you will not require an Internet connection while you want to check the route. Unless you are not sure about it, you do not need to utilize the Internet at all. As an interesting concept, it lets you project the navigation on car’s windshield as you can see in the image above (not rocket science but helps).
MapFactor, being one of the best free navigation apps for Android, is old. Regarding its user interface, it hasn’t changed much. With this, you get an option to utilize TomTom’s navigation data.
It is best suitable for your device if you are running an older version of Android or if you simply like its simplicity. In either case, if you want to save your battery juice, you can have it installed because it’s resource friendly.
OsmAnd is something that relies on OpenStreetMap data. The data may not be as big as Google’s but being something free and openly licensed map, it has a lot of volunteers to help improve its local data.
There are chances where OsmAnd could provide more accurate data than Google Maps because it relies on people (volunteers). If you are lucky enough and the place you tend to search has the most volunteers on board, then obviously that data could beat Google’s.
Polaris Navigation GPS is a free navigation app for Android that contains in-app advertisement. Although the in-app advertisements might annoy you, the application packs some exciting capabilities.
You could find Google Maps, OpenStreetMap, Cycle route maps, and some other map data incorporated into one complete app, i.e., Polaris Navigation. It lets you get rid of the advertisements by switching to its paid version – GPS Waypoints Navigator.
MapQuest GPS Navigation is one of the most loved free navigation apps for Android. It’s been there for a while as a website in its glorious days, and it still exists in today date. MapQuest GPS Navigation is not a replacement for Google Maps, but it provides turn-by-turn instructions for a great navigation experience.
It is also capable of auto re-routing when it finds heavy traffic on your way to commute. You can even book nearby hotels using MapQuest. So, in a nutshell, it’s one of the best navigation apps for Android with added benefits.
Also Read: Top 8 Best Weather Widgets for Android with Lesser Battery Drains
The Pro Review from TechReviewPro
While looking at the best free navigation apps for Android, you will realize that with a broad range of requirements, there exist different apps to the cause. For most of the users, Google Maps should remain to be the best app for navigation. If a user prefers more real-time information, he/she could have Waze installed for the purpose. Other free navigation apps would come handy depending on the situation one is in or the location he or she is stuck at.
Which one of the above would you choose to have installed on your device? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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