I Ditched Google Maps For This Free Alternative That Doesn't Track Me - Or Drain My Battery

CoMaps / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

Follow ZDNET: Add america arsenic a preferred source connected Google.

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Privacy-first: nary search aliases information collection.
• Offline maps and turn-by-turn directions prevention battery.
• Free, open-source app for Android and iOS.

Every month, Google sends maine a study astir wherever I've been, and I person to opportunity that I'm not a fan. In fact, nan thought that Google is pursuing maine around, via Maps, disturbs me. That's not nan only rumor I person pinch nan default Maps app. It seems each clip I person to dangle connected nan app, my Pixel 9 Pro artillery gets drained faster than erstwhile utilizing immoderate different app.

Those 2 issues unsocial are capable to make maine mobility why I usage specified an app. 

That's why, erstwhile I heard astir CoMaps, I instantly wanted to cognize what it was each about.

Also: Waze vs. Google Maps: I tested 2 of nan champion navigation apps, and there's a clear winner

Open-source representation app

CoMaps is simply a fork of Organic Maps, which intends it has rather a spot of history (Organic Maps was based connected MapsWithMe, which turned into Maps.me). MapsWithMe was an early effort astatine bringing nan open-source conception to nan maps abstraction and utilized OpenStreetMap data. MapsWithMe was aquired successful 2014 by nan Maps.ru group and was portion of nan My.com brand.

Also: Is Instagram Map showing your location? How to cheque and move it disconnected ASAP

CoMaps is an open-source representation app that's disposable for some Android and iOS. CoMaps features:

• Offline hunt and way readying (with aliases without a web connection)
• Less artillery drain than Google Maps
• No identifying people, nary tracking, and nary information collection
• Free and nary ads
• Voice-guided directions
• Access to offline Wikipedia articles and subway maps
• The expertise to people and prevention locations
• Support for exporting and importing information (to KML, KMZ, and GPX formats)
• A built-in representation editor (which helps amended nan OpenStreeMap data)

CoMaps is community-driven, open-source, transparent, and nan developers aren't concerned pinch making a profit. The app is reasonably caller (just hitting Google Play Store and nan Apple App Store astir July 3), but it's still very functional and makes for a awesome Google Maps replacement.

Also: This hidden Google Maps characteristic is making group affectional - here's why

However, location are immoderate chopped differences betwixt CoMaps and Google Maps.

Google Maps differences

The first awesome quality is that you person to download maps for nan locations you need. There are respective contiguous benefits to this:

• It makes it imaginable to usage CoMaps offline
• You don't discarded retention abstraction pinch maps you don't need
• CoMaps has a typical outdoor mode, which is designed for hiking and motorcycle riding. This mode shows hiking trails, spots of interest, campsites, and places to find caller water

There are a ton of maps to download, truthful chances are bully your area is included. To download a map, pat nan 3 horizontal statement paper fastener astatine nan bottommost of nan main page and pat Download Maps. In nan resulting page, pat +, find and pat nan representation you want, and past pat "Download map."

Downloading maps is easy and ensures you don't person to person an web relationship to usage nan app.

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

Once you've downloaded nan map(s) you need, there's thing other to do. You tin commencement utilizing CoMaps arsenic you would Google Maps. You tin moreover get automated directions, precisely arsenic you would successful Google's app. In fact, erstwhile you've downloaded nan basal maps, CoMaps functions very likewise to Google Maps. 

CoMaps is arsenic easy to usage arsenic Google Maps.

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

There mightiness beryllium 1 mounting you request to change. By default, CoMaps uses kilometers arsenic a portion of measure. If you want to move that to miles, pat nan Menu Button and spell to Settings > "Measurement units" and pat Miles successful nan pop-up. 

Also: How to blur your location connected Google Street View (and 4 reasons why group do it)

My caller default app

CoMaps has go my default representation app, and I've recovered it to beryllium overmuch much suited to my needs (especially my request for privacy). I'm reasonably assured that if you consciousness nan aforesaid astir your privacy, you'll really admit this app and will make it your go-to arsenic well.

You tin instal CoMaps from either nan Google Play Store aliases nan Apple App Store.

Also: A hidden Google Earth slider lets you recreation up to 80 years backmost successful clip - here's really to effort it

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