Hi Experts,
just a simple question as to Google Maps Navigation:
I'm running still CY 4.0.4 and Google maps already shows me routing form A to B during a ride supported by GPS.
Is this the already and everywhere discussed and beloved - by Google announced - navigating functionality ... (and how did it come on my G1 then ???) - or what is still wanted in addition to let the G1 become a "real" navigator ????
I thought (reading all the heated discussions) that the whole world is still waiting (particulary in Germany for example) for Google navigation to become reality ...?
Regards
well if you go to the market you can install the new version of google maps (which you may have done) which has the navigation feature
Navigation is available for the G1, but it is US only right now. I believe there is a work around in the development section. You might check there if you are in Germany.
get yourself updated to latest cyanogenmod dude.
to answer the OPs original query - The "navigation" your seeing is the default google maps one where it shows you how to get from A to B using the GPS. The one everyone is raving about at the moment is an addition to that which enables voice navigation and the maps to be viewed from a different angle (i.e it now acts like your standard sat nav / TOMTOM device). having tried it out its pretty crap to be honest - the voice commands arent very clear and is quite robotic.
i disagree, for a beta its pretty damn good, only a few times has it even mispronounced road names. its had my location pinpointed really well and updates the route well when you go a different route. it shows gas stations and food on the roads as well as banks. and it has alternate route choices as well. im very impressed with this beta launch and cant wait til they begin to integrate other stuff. ie: id love to see gas buddy so you can see the prices of the stations before you pull off.
only thing i wish it did is for voice search to respond to the "navigate to"command like it does on the droid.
hello mates,
anybody know if is possible (and how) to use googleMaps or googleNavigator in OFFLINE mode without internet connection?
Is possible (and how) pre-download full-area-maps or personal routes?
thanks in advance.
(my config is : nexusOne with unlocked bootloader + root permissions ON + cyanogen 5.0.7.1)
Probably.. NO
This is possible. You can use Mobile Atlas Creator :http://mobac.dnsalias.org/
and one of the supported map programs. Personally I use Maverick for this. You can choose from a wide array of different maps, including Google's. It willl only work on normal maps though, you can't do this with the turn by turn navigation that Google provides.
nothing "standard" to be used simply with GMaps or GNavigator?
_PeTiT_ said:
nothing "standard" to be used simply with GMaps or GNavigator?
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I'm afraid not, you do get exactly the same maps though. There is a reason though Google doesn't support this; even a small country would take several GBs worth of data if you included the nearest zoom levels. You could easily fill up a 32GB microSD card, so I guess that's why it's not included as standard.
ok.... understood.... let me cry....
Yes and no. any route you set up to navigate will cache all street information, but not for other reason
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Yeah, data is only need to get the route, Navigation will still work after that without data as long as you stay within the Nav's route.
Sorry first smartphone, so this may be a basic question. I have read alot on maps and navigation on smart phones, in that google maps and navigation that came on my galaxy s needs a data connection to use it as you are navigating along, as it doesn't download maps but just caches them, is this still correct or can i use it as a stand alone sat nav. Thanks
I just did a little experimenting and yes it appears that Maps needs you to have a data connection in order to load additional maps. Remember that the GPS just gives your location, but you get the maps that allow that location to make sense from your data connection to Google.
There are likely GPS applications for sale in the market that allow your phone to behave more like a stand along SatNav.
Thanks for the prompt reply. Anybody have any experiance of any GPS apps i can use, so i can use my galaxy s as a stand alone GPs device. Am leaning towards copilot at the mo.
Co pilot + 1
jje
I have used both Sygic Aura and Co-Pilot both of which I believe offer a trial.
Aura is graphically better cheaper and has a built in traffic option. However I find it unstable an buggy on my heavily hacked SGS that has more than 400apps on it.
Co-pilot is far more stable less buggy but not as pretty or as easy to use
personally I still live in hope of an android version of tomtom frankly for me it's the one thing left that would even make me consider an next gen iphone. #
anyway I hope this helps
Ok, so I was really excited when Google discussed at I/O the ability to save map data for certain areas to be able to access it with our Nexus7's without a data connection. Obviously on a tablet with no 3G/4G/LTE/etc. connectivity, this is a requirement to be able to use it as a GPS device.
When I got mine, I saved my entire home region. It seems to cap out around 85MB in size, so you can't just save the entire country, which is fine. I also noticed that the amount of space required seems to be tied to the size of the map you make, and has nothing to do with the amount of streets, cities, etc. (aka data) for that location (ie: New York City takes up the same amount of space as Nowheresville, MT). This was a little confusing, but OK.
Anyway, here is my issue. The other day, I took my Nexus7 for a road trip, and tried to use the Navigation app. It was able to show me where I was in real time, and give somewhat-detailed street information which was nice. However, it doesn't actually know how to GET anywhere. In other words, if you try to give it a destination, it fails, requiring Internet access. I tried addresses, cities, business names (who are actually on the map) as well as just clicking somewhere and asking it to provide a route. Nothing.
So I ask this: what good is offline map storage if you can't actually DO anything with it?
Don't get me wrong, I understand that this is a new feature and might not be fully developed. But based on the Google I/O presentation, they made it out to be much more functional than it is. Something along the lines of "Going to a different city? Just preload your Nexus7 with the map for the area and you're good to go!". Sure, if all you want is a static map and want to try and figure out directions yourself, I guess that will work. But it certainly doesn't provide anywhere near the functionality required for an offline GPS device.
Unless of course I'm missing something - but I doubt it.
I agree and I don't think you're missing something. For the size of the data it downloads for a given area, I believe it has all the address so I why can't one do a search of somewhere?
Might have something to do with apple taking aim at local search functions with their lawsuits? Finding that information would probably require accessing the function in question.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
nooomoto said:
Might have something to do with apple taking aim at local search functions with their lawsuits? Finding that information would probably require accessing the function in question.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
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Possibly, but I doubt it. AFAIK, the "local search" issue was with Samsung allowing users to run a search query which would also perform the search on local apps, files, etc. It had nothing to do with map searching, which would fall under a completely different scope. And the app supports it, but just seems to require Internet to make it work.
Also, while Samsung seemingly took it out of one/some of their devices with an OTA update, they later said this was an accident, and have pushed a fix out to put it back.
I given up with Offline Maps, really it just the same as having a paper map that only covers a limited area, instead I've been using NavFree, does navigation, address search, points of interest all without a data connection.
The Apple/Samsung lawsuit is 100% unrelated to offline search in maps. Google it, do some reading, and you'll see what I mean. I have GPS Copilot installed for any offline needs I may have.
Yeah dude google maps offline is a joke. You'll need to
1) start your destination somewhere you are connected to wifi
2) wait for google maps offline to not suck so bad
3) use a different app
Or just root your phone and tether...that's what I've been doing for years.
Sent from my HTC One X using XDA Premium HD app
nooomoto said:
Or just root your phone and tether...that's what I've been doing for years.
Sent from my HTC One X using XDA Premium HD app
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That doesn't solve the problem, it's simply a work around.
Sure, if you have wifi or tethering you can get online and get live maps/route data. But that doesn't negate the fact that Google Maps Offline is seriously flawed. It should work without needing to be online, otherwise what's the point of saving offline map data in the first place.
phonic said:
That doesn't solve the problem, it's simply a work around.
Sure, if you have wifi or tethering you can get online and get live maps/route data. But that doesn't negate the fact that Google Maps Offline is seriously flawed. It should work without needing to be online, otherwise what's the point of saving offline map data in the first place.
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It's much better than not having the map at all. If you have a GPS (like the Nexus 7 does), you still see yourself on the map where you are. The only thing missing is the blue line to your destination. It's limited, sure, but it's a lot better than not having a map at all to see your GPS location on.
+1 for NavFree though. If you need navigation (like in cities you aren't familiar with), this is a lifesaver, even if it eats battery rapidly and is very slow (at least on my Galaxy S).
I'm sure Google can/will release offline navigation in time (possibly along with entire country map downloads), but probably not until Apple pushes them to by releasing their own offline navigation.
jabsys said:
I given up with Offline Maps, really it just the same as having a paper map that only covers a limited area, instead I've been using NavFree, does navigation, address search, points of interest all without a data connection.
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Click to collapse
I used the offline maps with directions when i started out on a data connection and then immediately turned it off. I started the n7 navigation with it tethered to my phone, once navigation has established its route, I disconnect my data and the directions continue to work.
This worked for me. It may not work for you, I do apologize if I waste your time.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
I use offline maps quite a bit.
Navigation is usually useless for most of the back country roads I'm on. Having a map and GPS showing me where I am in relation to where I need to be (pre-set waypoints) is awesome and is better than nothing.
Another app I use often is Maverick with pre-cached satellite maps. I'd dump Maverick if Google Maps had offline satellite and topo maps.
jabsys said:
I given up with Offline Maps, really it just the same as having a paper map that only covers a limited area, instead I've been using NavFree, does navigation, address search, points of interest all without a data connection.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for showing me this app! That's perfect, and just what I'm looking for. Looks like it will work amazingly!
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium HD app
I wish apps could use the cached data from Maps, but so far each app I've tried appears to download it and cache it directly. No idea if it's even possible to to, but it'd be nice if all apps could access the cache and use it.
As for the OP, this has been discussed since Maps first released.... It does not have the engine or routing data to do offline navigation. Maybe it will in the future, but it does not today.
try Co-pilot GPS from the market. It's free, and it downloads maps and stores them on the phone. If you have any svox classic voices purchased you will get the more advanced street names as part of the turn by turn verbal directions. I haven't tried this version yet, but it looks great and for free you have nothing to lose.
nooomoto said:
Or just root your phone and tether...that's what I've been doing for years.
Sent from my HTC One X using XDA Premium HD app
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Click to collapse
Tether to what? I already pay $70 a month for internet at home I am sure as hell not gonna pay for more data
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
IMO, for a FREE navigation app, I think you get a little more than you paid for...
The Turn-by-Turn directions require a data connection initially. But once it has downloaded the directions, you can use it offline and still get the voice directions - I tested it out on Saturday. You want to leave it connected a few minutes so it can cache all the map tiles along the route. If you don't let it finish caching the route, there will be places where you can see the route and get voice nagivation, but the streets won't show up.
If you deviate from the route, however, you will lose any navigation until you get back on the suggested route. You can see your route on the map, but there won't be any streets showing up at your location - even if you have chached the entire area in maps. If you zoom out you can see the suggested route. The voice nagivation will try to get you to turn around and go back since it can't recalculate the route. It needs more than just a map to calculate the route. It doesn't read a map the way you or I would to get directions...:silly:
I had maps and navigation running at the same time, and when I left the suggested route I switched over to maps (leaving navigation running in the background) and could see the streets I was on. A bit crude but it worked...
Once in range of the suggested route, the voice navigation will pick back up again and continue from there, and the streets will show up again.
I really hope Google eventually allows client side navigation, instead of server side requiring a data plan or wifi.
I've used Google Navigation on my tablet by calculating a route prior to disconnect from wifi, and their Navigation is hands down the best available for Android.
I've tried other Navigation apps, and they're super slow compared to Google, especially when it comes to re-routing or telling when you turned. Google almost re-routes you instantly when you go off route, other apps sometimes take a full minute before they set another route. Plus, Goole's street naming is fantastic for audible directions.
Offline maps is something, but off line route planning will be the ultimate offering.
I don't see how this could be too difficult to enable. Sure, maybe there are patent issues to work out (possible, but unlikely). But this functionality is already present in cheap GPS devices. The maps themselves take up a lot of space (a couple gigs on average for the entire US on a dedicated GPS unit), but if we download an 85MB region map, all the streets/addresses should already be built in. So it comes down to getting the routing engine to work offline. I'm not sure how big or complex this is, but IMHO it should be a simple addition.
And yes, it's "free" so we are getting what we pay for, but still.
As I mentioned earlier, my biggest disappointment was that Google made it out to be a fully comprehensive update to Google Maps, when it really isn't.
phonic said:
I don't see how this could be too difficult to enable. Sure, maybe there are patent issues to work out (possible, but unlikely). But this functionality is already present in cheap GPS devices. The maps themselves take up a lot of space (a couple gigs on average for the entire US on a dedicated GPS unit), but if we download an 85MB region map, all the streets/addresses should already be built in. So it comes down to getting the routing engine to work offline. I'm not sure how big or complex this is, but IMHO it should be a simple addition.
And yes, it's "free" so we are getting what we pay for, but still.
As I mentioned earlier, my biggest disappointment was that Google made it out to be a fully comprehensive update to Google Maps, when it really isn't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would love to know Google's reasoning behind server side routing only. I've searched around, but can't find a definitive answer. I always figured they stay clear from allowing off-line routing because you'll lose out on real-time traffic condition, weather, accident updates, etc.
Just picked up a 2019 Mazda with Android Auto. LG V30 running Android 8.0. I have all sorts of weird things happens indicating this app is NOT stable. I'm wondering who I go to, to try to work out the problems, Google or Mazda? (I doubt Mazda can do anything.)
I've been a Software Developer for over 20 years and my opinion thus far is Android Auto is both unstable and poorly thought out.
Geez, I could build a list a mile long but here's some major things off the top of my head...
- When replying to a text message, I get as far as AA reading my reply and asking me if I want to send, which I confirm, and then it says "Ha. Something went wrong." If I then ask "What went wrong?" AA Says there was a server error but I've fixed it now. No, you haven't, because it keeps doing it.
- The command "OK Google... Send text message to {insert contact name}" responds with "I don't know how to do that." Are you kidding me? I can do that on my phone when not using AA.
- The command "read last text message" AA responds it can't do that either.
- The command "read last notification" can't do it.
There are pretty basic necessities when driving. I'm sure Google has some explanation like "apps aren't allowed to access {some data} for security purposes." But in reality, at the end of the day, the software engineer's goals should be centered around making user functionality as useful as possible and easy to use. Looks like thus far, they've really missed the mark.
The funny (but sad) thing is, the Mazda salesman said the Apple Car Play worked better, but didn't warn me about the issues I was going to have with Android Auto. I can see why he said Apple was better. But Google is such a small company with so little resources, I can therefore understand why Android Auto is subpar (NOT.)
I use AA only for Waze navigation because the weird stuff you wrote about.
Google went for a super duper restrictive use of Auto functionalities for "drive security" sake, at the point they rendered the product almost unusable. It's ironic the AA software is even more restrictive than automotive manufacturers ones.
In my case, the only really usable software in AA are Waze (even with its frequent errors) and Google Maps.
nangu said:
I use AA only for Waze navigation because the weird stuff you wrote about.
Google went for a super duper restrictive use of Auto functionalities for "drive security" sake, at the point they rendered the product almost unusable. It's ironic the AA software is even more restrictive than automotive manufacturers ones.
In my case, the only really usable software in AA are Waze (even with its frequent errors) and Google Maps.
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Click to collapse
I can see myself going the same route if things don't get better. One thing though I was really happy with was on my Acura, I'd usually have to turn down the volume to issue voice commands because I believe without Android Auto, you are talking to the phone mic, not the car mic for "OK Google" commands. With AA, it appears to use the car mic and picks up and understands your voice commands a lot better. Of course if most of the useful voice commands you want to use AA doesn't support anyway, I guess it's sort of a moot point.
I just deleted all the AA app data and cache and reinstalled thinking maybe I accidentally skipped over a permissions grant when I installed, but then, the app wouldn't be reading my text messages if I did that but I'll try anything to make it work.
I can't think of any BIG advantage to using Google Play Music via AA as opposed to the car's Bluetooth. It's also a little annoying to have to plug the phone in. Gee, here we are in 2019 and we're really *this* far from a well engineered solution from Google? I guess considering the app doesn't generate revenue for them, this may be the real issue. But I would guess car manufacturers have to pay some sort of licensing fee to include it in their cars. So AA technically would be more of a revenue generator than say the free Google Assistant - which ironically is more useful and works better than AA. Go figure. Although one could argue GA is a must have O/S feature to compete with iOS and therefore indirectly generates more revenue via phone sales.
@nangu
Is Waze still *that* much better than Google Maps? I know it was better in the past but hasn't Google added more features like accident reporting, etc. I believe Google actually owns Waze so maybe they are gradually merging the feature sets? So does the car actually display the Waze map? How to you indicate you want the Nav button to bring up the Waze map instead of Google Maps?
jazee said:
@nangu
Is Waze still *that* much better than Google Maps? I know it was better in the past but hasn't Google added more features like accident reporting, etc. I believe Google actually owns Waze so maybe they are gradually merging the feature sets? So does the car actually display the Waze map? How to you indicate you want the Nav button to bring up the Waze map instead of Google Maps?
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Click to collapse
Hi @jazee
Actually, GMaps render to the car screen a lot better, it's smoother and graphically nicer. I have to test the "waze added" features like dynamic navigation based on traffic, speed camera alerts, warnings alerts, etc.
Last GMaps version available on my region doesn't display speed camera warnings as far as I tested, so it's a waze keeper for me until Google decides to incorporate this functionality on Maps at least.
The car does display the Waze map, alert icons, speed cams, etc, both visually and audible.
To display Waze or Maps on car screen, you press Android Auto navigation button. It depends on your default navigation app which is shown on the screen at first, but if you are displaying Maps in example, and you press the AA navigation button again, you can choose which navigation app you want to use and it is saved as default.
jazee said:
Just picked up a 2019 Mazda with Android Auto. LG V30 running Android 8.0. I have all sorts of weird things happens indicating this app is NOT stable. I'm wondering who I go to, to try to work out the problems, Google or Mazda? (I doubt Mazda can do anything.)
I've been a Software Developer for over 20 years and my opinion thus far is Android Auto is both unstable and poorly thought out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi @jazee,
I'm a user of AA for the last 3 years. Here my recomendations:
- For better AA experience, exit from all Gloogle BETA services.
- Don't try to use conversational language with the Google Assistant (yes! AA use GA). Use only accepted "commands".
- Remember that without Internet connection only a very limited commands are available. So, without network use only the screen.
Besides that AA is far away of the creapping media interfaces from car manufacturers!
manos78 said:
Hi @jazee,
I'm a user of AA for the last 3 years. Here my recomendations:
- For better AA experience, exit from all Gloogle BETA services.
- Don't try to use conversational language with the Google Assistant (yes! AA use GA). Use only accepted "commands".
- Remember that without Internet connection only a very limited commands are available. So, without network use only the screen.
Besides that AA is far away of the creapping media interfaces from car manufacturers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- Where is the list of "commands" ?? (Can't use them if I don't know all of them.)
- I pretty much always have an Internet connection being on Verizon so doubt it has to do with my connection.
Well after several hours of troubleshooting and searching various forums, I found a solution to why I can't send text messages.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/an...l/google-aa-engineers-forcing-please-t3902336