Google Maps alternatives get new updates as Apple also prepares major Maps announcements

Considering how many people use it, you might think that Google Maps is the only navigation app out there, but the number of alternatives continues to grow, and even the least capable apps are improving with new features and more frequent refinements.

HERE WeGo and Magic Earth are living proof that Google Maps alternatives are getting better.

HERE WeGo is often considered a top-notch replacement due to its full suite of features, including offline maps and advanced navigation. However, the parent company has also increasingly focused on small improvements that refine the app experience.

For example, a previous update released over the summer introduced an option that allowed users to report incorrect speed limits or road signs, while a version released in August included a notification system for map updates.

The latest version is 4.13.200 and includes a new way to change audio preferences while navigating. Users can tap the screen to enable only warnings while driving or tap again to turn off both warnings and voice. If they tap the screen a third time, they can enable all audio settings and get voice navigation and warnings for the active route.

Magic Earth is the privacy-obsessed alternative, as the app promises not to track you or collect data from your device. The app has also received several updates lately, including a long-awaited return to the Apple Watch, with a focus on other modes of transportation.

For example, the latest version on the App Store is 8.1.5 and includes support for eBike profiles to allow users to configure the app with bikes that also support pedal assist and bikes with throttles. The new version also includes quick access to settings and transportation modes from the Directions and Route Overview views.

Meanwhile, tech giant Apple is also gearing up for some big Apple Maps announcements. Next week’s iPhone event is expected to bring some goodies to the Apple Maps user base, and users are hoping Apple will also announce another detailed expansion of the city experience. Apple Maps’s data updates have been slow to make progress lately, with no expansions announced this year.

Apple has already released a preview version of Apple Maps on the web, and the company is expected to share more updates and new features for this version at the iPhone event. Apple Maps will also get custom routing, and users will likely be allowed to set up routes on their computers and send them to their iPhone and CarPlay via an Apple ID. More and more people have started asking Apple to bring Apple Maps to Android, but no evidence has been found that the company is at least exploring this expansion. The event will be held next week, and all of the Apple Maps improvements will be part of the iOS 18 update that will be rolling out this month.